I have yet to meet a child that was not living their best life while eating a bowl of Mac and Cheese. It’s creamy, it’s carby and it’s oh so cheesy. My kids love it from a box or from scratch, while mama prefers it loaded with vegetables. Today let’s chat my super secret veggie loaded Mac and Cheese!
So what’s the secret?
This Mac and Cheese recipe is loaded with 3 cups of secret veggies that your children will never know is there and have them asking for second helpings. With a cup of carrots in the cheese and 2 of cauliflower in the pasta this is a great compromise for both kids and parents.
To start the carrots are finely grated and then boiled in the milk of the rue and eventually blended smooth. This adds quite a bit of sweetness to the cheese sauce but also a hint of that orange that many children are familiar with when it comes to boxed Mac and Cheese.
The cauliflower is roughly chopped and cooked along with the past for the last 5 minutes. This will soften the cauliflower enough that when mixed with the cheese sauce will fall apart into a small crumb that will likely go unnoticed.
Other Vegetables That Can Be Added
Personally I like to add more vegetables to the mix in hopes to keep them familiar and just add more nutrients to the meal. My personal favourites are diced tomatoes or broccoli but other options are peppers, peas, corn, squash or kidney beans (not a vegetable but still a great plant protein).
The How
Preheat oven to 375F and start a pot of boiling salted water for the pasta.
Start by finely grating a large carrot on a box grater, you will get about 1 cup or shredded carrot but more is ok as well, the more veg the better! Roughly chop the cauliflower into small pieces.
Begin by heating oil in a large skillet, then add flour and mix until it begins to brown. This will cook off any uncooked flour taste. Add the carrots and mix. Add milk, can stir continuously to ensure there are no flour clumps. Allow to com to a simmer, remove from heat and blend until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return the mixture to the skillet and add the grated cheese string with a wooden spoon until fully melted.
It’s best to go with an aged cheddar as it has more flavour, and you will need less cheese to make an impact.
Cook pasta according to package instructions, and add cauliflower for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and mix with cheese sauce, add to a casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
Bake covered for 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 30 minutes until browned.
Veggie Loaded Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot finely grated
- 2 cups cauliflower diced
- 500g pasta of your choice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- Salt and pepper
- 3 cups milk
- 2 cup grated old cheddar
- Panko or sourdough crumbs
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F and start a pot of boiling salted water for the pasta.
Start by finely grating a large carrot on a box grater, you will get about 1 cup or shredded carrot but more is ok as well, the more veg the better! Roughly chop the cauliflower into small pieces.
Begin by heating oil in a large skillet, then add flour and mix until it begins to brown. This will cook off any uncooked flour taste. Add the carrots and mix. Add milk, can stir continuously to ensure there are no flour clumps. Allow to com to a simmer, remove from heat and blend until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return the mixture to the skillet and add the grated cheese string with a wooden spoon until fully melted.
It's best to go with an aged cheddar as it has more flavour, and you will need less cheese to make an impact.
Cook pasta according to package instructions, and add cauliflower for the final 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and mix with cheese sauce, add to a casserole dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with melted butter.
Bake covered for 20 minutes, remove the lid and bake another 30 minutes until browned.
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