Mac n cheese for the family that doesn’t want to give up mac n cheese.
So my oldest loves mac n cheese. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it on the blog 12 times but she does. I mean what kid doesn’t. But she REALLY loves mac n cheese. Recently she had to create a “me” box for school and include things in it about herself. Guess what was included in this 15 year old’s box? A box of mac n cheese. Right next to her fashion design books was a box of Annie’s. True story.
While I am definitely guilty of using Annie’s (many of times,) I do on occasion bust out my vegan mac n cheese recipe from time to time. While everyone likes it just fine and they certainly would not turn down any form of pasta, I am pretty sure they long for the real deal fat-laden mac n cheese. So here is my attempt at a healthier, non-veganized REAL mac n cheese.
With broccoli.
Vegetables have to be somewhere in the mix. duh.
Here is how I started.
I whisked up my cheese, flour and other dry ingredients.
Meanwhile broccoli was roasting.
I chopped it a bit further when it was done.
All the while, my pot was busy cooking up some macaroni.
Next I combined my drained, hot macaroni with the cheese concoction.
Added my dose of green!
Piled it into the casserole dish…added more cheese, my milk…dotted my butter…
Baked… and voila. The finished product.
Broccoli Mac n Cheese
INGREDIENTS:
16 ounce package whole wheat macaroni
16 ounce package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups almond milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 head of broccoli (chopped and drizzled with a tablespoon oil of choice)
DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a casserole dish or a 9×13 pan. Set aside.
2) Combine 2 1/4 cups cheese and nutritional yeast with dry ingredients (flour, ground mustard, salt and pepper).
3) Spray a foil lined cookie sheet. Roast broccoli for 30 minutes and remove from oven, but keep the oven on because you will need it for your mac n cheese.
4) While broccoli is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions.
5) Once macaroni is done, drain and return to pan.
6) Combine cheese mixture with hot macaroni and stir.
7) Add roasted broccoli and then fold whole mixture into the casserole dish.
8) Pour milk over macaroni.
9) Top with remaining cheese and dot with butter
10) Bake for 35-45 minutes or until firm and golden brown. (You can stick a knife in the center to see if it has firmed up.)
11) Let sit for 10-20 minutes before serving to set (like you would a lasagna).
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