Macaroni and cheese is the go-to choice for many picky eaters. Luckily it’s also a versatile dish that offers a perfect opportunity for you to remake comfort food healthfully! The creamy cheese sauce provides a base for you to hide veggies like cauliflower, peas, carrots and onions. Serve alongside your choice of lean protein, like roasted chicken, and you have a complete meal.
Easy Veggie Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 1/2 of 16-ounce box)
- 1 pound fresh or frozen cauliflower florets
- 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas and carrots
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup reduced-fat (2%) milk
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Paprika
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Cook the macaroni according to package directions, adding the cauliflower, peas and carrots during the last 6 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until tender. Sprinkle with the flour, and stir until blended. Gradually stir in the milk and broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, while stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the cheese, salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
Pour the sauce over the macaroni mixture; stir to coat. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown on top.
Nutrition Information
Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups veggie mac & cheese
Per serving: Calories: 355; Total Fat: 16g; Saturated Fat: 9g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 51mg; Sodium: 397mg; Carbohydrate: 35g; Dietary Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 18g
Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 177mg; Iron: 10%; Vitamin A: 74%; Vitamin C: 30%; Calcium: 35%
Stephanie O’Dea made a New Year’s Resolution to use her slow cooker every single day in 2008 and write about it online. This simple idea resulted in a highly-trafficked website and four books, one of which spent six weeks on the New York Times best sellers list. See more from Stephanie O’Dea at Grokker.
The post Easy Veggie Mac & Cheese [Video] appeared first on Hello Healthy.
from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1UevIHA
via
