There's a scene in the movie "Peggy Sue Got Married" where dreamy, mysterious rebel teen Michael Fitzsimmons loans Peggy Sue his leather jacket, gives her a ride on his motorcycle, then tells her about his plans for the future.

"I'm gonna check outta this bourgeois motel," he says. "I'm gonna push myself away from the dinner table and say, 'No more Jello for me, Mom!"

Sigh. Then they make out. 

Well, let me tell you this: I'm checking out of these plus-size pants. I'm pushing myself away from the dinner table. "No more macaroni and cheese for me!"

Now before you congratulate me on my bold declaration and courageous sacrifice, the truth is I'm giving up macaroni and cheese because I don't need it now that I've discovered cauliflower gratin.

We've all had the frozen version, cauliflower draped in a thick, salty sauce. But there's something special about this one. I think it's the cheese.

Named for a village in Switzerland, Gruyère is a semi-hard cheese with a hard, brown rind. By itself, it's a little bit grainy and can have a weird, sweet, almost artificial taste. But when you melt it or fold it into a sauce, its flavors shine. It becomes nutty, dense, rich and undeniably cheesy. It's not the least expensive option in the case, but with its bold flavor, you don't need much to make an impact. This recipe calls for just 4 ounces.

As to the cauliflower, which these days is reliably good and often organic year round, no need to mess with breaking it into florets. I suggest that you core it, slice it into 1-inch slabs, then chop it into 1-inch cubes.

For the sauce, start as you would for a typical béchamel, with butter, flour and milk, but then add the chopped cauliflower. As the cauliflower heats up, the sauce thickens without all the usual stirring.

The clincher to this mac & cheese doppelganger is the breadcrumb topping. Fresh crumbs — no substitutions will do — mixed with Parmesan cheese and a bit of olive oil. Once in the oven, the sauce bubbles and the crumbs crisp. Serve it as a main dish with a salad or some steamed broccoli, or serve it as a side.

What are you waiting for?

Enjoy!

Jill Blanchette is the multiplatform production editor at The Day. Share comments and recipes with her at j.blanchette@theday.com.

Might as Well Be Mac & Cheese

3 slices white sandwich bread (or 1 to 1¼ cups fluffy fresh breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons butter (can substitute olive oil)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk (anything from skim to whole)

1 head cauliflower, about 2 pounds, cored and chopped into pieces no larger than 1-inch cubes

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated, about 1 cup (Use Gruyère. No other cheese will do.)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. If starting with slices of bread, tear them up and place them in a food processor. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. In a small bowl, add crumbs, Parmesan and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Fluff and mix well with a fork until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a large saucepan with a lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stirring and cooking for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring well between each addition. At first, a thick paste will form. Then a thinner and thinner paste until finally you've added all the milk.

Return to heat and add cauliflower, salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook just until the cauliflower is starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Don't overcook. The cauliflower will spend more time in the oven and you don't want it to turn to mush.

Remove from heat and gradually stir in the grated Gruyère. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cover with foil and bake until cauliflower is easily pierced with a knife, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake until the casserole is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 15-20 more minutes. Serve.

Makes four main course servings and easily six as a side dish.

Original recipe from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" magazine, circa March 2007.