Secret Ingredient Mac and Cheese

Well, let's see.  Recently, I had a call from someone asking me to come up with a mac-n-cheese recipe that was more "substantial" and wouldn't just "run all over the plate" when you ate it.  I was looking through the fridge and pantry to see what was what and I also saw that there were some carrots that needed to be used.  It got me thinking... "Hmmm.. I wonder if I could add these carrots to the mac and cheese where no one would know they were in there.  It certainly would increase the nutritional level of the dish.  And they are even the same color!"  And that is how an idea is born.  Of course one idea led to the next, and by the time I finished my morning run, I decided that cauliflower would work great, too, as both of these are super mild.  Between the time the idea was hatched and the time I got back from the grocery,  I had somewhat of a plan.  I would roast both of the vegetables, which really makes them very mild (and you don't lose nutrients to boiling), then puree them and add them to the cheese sauce.  I convinced myself that my kids would never know it.  That idea became the challenge.

The only problem was Lily, whom I had just picked up from preschool on the way back from the grocery.  Once she smelled the vegetables that had just finished roasting, she of course wanted a piece of the action.  Suffice it to say that I didn't exactly finish with the same amount of vegetables that I started with.  She demanded a bowl of them, which she polished off while watching a movie.  Yes - not chocolate, not chips, not cookies for this little girl.  Roasted veggies!  So I guess I can't complain about that, right?  Besides that, the movie time gave me the chance to puree the rest and add them to the sauce without her seeing me.

The verdict - no one knew.  It was delicious!  So smooth and creamy.. and yes, substantial!  I seasoned it up with some more secret savory ingredients to offset the sweetness and give it more depth of flavor, and topped it with some delicious toppings.  Yes, it's true.  I like garnishes on my foods.  They make the dish very pretty, and give it more interesting textures and flavor combinations.  You think I may have food A.D.D. at all?  I love "comfort" food, but I still don't want it to be boring.

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Ingredients:

• 1 (1 lb) box of rotini pasta
• 2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 head chopped cauliflower 
• olive oil + kosher salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp ground mustard powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 pound low fat (2% milk) Velveeta, cut into chunks
• garnishes - 1 cup sharp grated cheddar cheese, French fried onions, chopped cooked smoky bacon, crispy fried sage leaves

Step-by-Step:
Chop and season the vegetables with a little olive oil drizzled over the top, plus kosher salt.  Roast the vegetables at 400 degrees for around 30 min.  Stir around after about 20 minutes.

2 cups chopped carrots, 1 head of chopped cauliflower

after roasting

Puree the roasted vegetables in a food processor (or blender), and add 1/2 cup water to thin them out.

roasted vegetables

1/2 cup water

Saute 3/4 cup onions in 1/2 cup butter.   It looks like a lot, but we are making a whole casserole dish full of this recipe, so we'll need a fair amount of sauce.

While your onions are cooking down, you will probably want to start your water boiling.  When it does, salt the water and add a whole box of twisty pasta.  That's what Lily calls them.  Cook 9 minutes.  Drain.   They should still be a little al dente because you will finish them in oven.

1 pound cooked, drained rotini pasta

When onions begin to soften, add the garlic.  When the garlic is soft and fragrant, add 3 Tbsp all purpose flour.  I didn't add the garlic in the beginning because I didn't want it to burn.  It doesn't take nearly as long as the onions.

Cook the flour for an additional 3 minutes or so,  then start whisking in the 3 cups of milk.  It should get thick pretty quickly.  Tip - If your milk is room temperature rather than cold, it will have less of a tendency to clump up. 

This is the foundation of our roux.

3 cups room temp or slightly warmed milk

Next, add in the 1/2 pound of reduced fat Velveeta, cut into chunks, and the pureed vegetables.

 

The roasted vegetables will lend a sweetness to the recipe, which I didn't necessarily want.  So let's get this thing seasoned up and make it savory.... with 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. 

 

Adjust your seasonings to taste, then pour your sauce over the cooked, drained noodles.  Stir well to combine.   Just look at how creamy and cheesy this is!

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and add the mac and cheese.  Top the casserole with a cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese, French fried onion strings, cooked and chopped smoky bacon, and fried crispy sage leaves.  Yes, of course the sage leaves are optional.   Do this your way and have fun!

Sharp cheddar cheese, grated

French fried onions

cooked, crumbled bacon

I fried the sage leaves in a little butter for a minute or so, then drained on a papertowel.  The crispy leaves are awesome.  They just crumble in your mouth and are much less pungent than the fresh leaves.

Bake your casserole at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.  Keep an eye on it so it won't over brown.   Keep in mind that if you made this in advance and had it refrigerated, it will obviously take longer than this to heat through.  In that case you may want to tent it with aluminum foil until heated through, then remove the cover to brown slightly at the very end.  Don't let the foil touch the top, because it will stick to your cheese.  Heaven forbid we should lose any of the cheese!

As you can see below, I also tried baking the mac and cheese in individual ramekins.  In case you are wondering, this works just as well!  They make an awfully cute presentation for dinner guests, and in the case of someone like me who LOVES mac and cheese - it's also portion control!!!  :)

For the critics who will inevitably write and say that this is not "mac" and cheese if you use rotini rather than macaroni.... I invite you to just breathe deeply, live a little, and lighten up.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  You can smile knowing that you added all those extra nutrients and a ton of fiber to one of your family's favorite dishes!  Why don't you pop on over to my Recipe Index to see what else I have cooking up in my kitchen?!  You are sure to find something just right!

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Written Method:

Chop and season the vegetables with a little olive oil drizzled over the top, plus kosher salt.  Roast the vegetables at 400 degrees for around 30 min.  Stir around after about 20 minutes.  Puree the roasted vegetables in a food processor (or blender), and add 1/2 cup water to thin them out.

In a medium saucepan, saute the 3/4 cup chopped onions in the 1/2 cup butter.  Let them cook several minutes, then add the 2 cloves of finely minced garlic.  While your onions are cooking down, you will probably want to start your water boiling.  When it does, salt the water and add a whole box of twisty pasta.  That's what Lily calls them.  Cook 9 minutes.  Drain.   They should still be a little al dente because you will finish them in oven.  When onions and garlic are soft, add 3 Tbsp all purpose flour.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes or so,  then start whisking in the milk.  Tip - If your milk is room temperature rather than cold, it will have less of a tendency to clump up. 

Add in the 3 cups of milk, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp ground mustard, 1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.  It should get thick pretty quickly.  Next, add in the 1/2 pound of Velveeta, which you cut into chunks, and the pureed vegetables.  Adjust your seasonings, then pour your sauce over the cooked, drained noodles. 

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and add the mac and cheese.  Top the casserole with fried onion strings, cooked and chopped bacon, and fried crispy sage leaves.  I fried the sage leaves in a little butter for a minute or so, then drained on a papertowel.  The crispy leaves are awesome.  They just crumble in your mouth and are much less pungent than the fresh leaves.  Bake your casserole at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so.  Keep an eye on it so it won't over brown.