As much as I love a good classic mac and cheese, sometimes I'm looking for a slightly more balanced option! This hidden veggie mac and cheese is PERFECT! It's packed with veggies, protein and fibre while still tasting AMAZING.
If you don't know by now I LOVE finding ways to elevate the meals I already love eating by adding a little extra nutrition into them (without sacrificing taste or satisfaction)!
Which is why this hidden veg mac and cheese has been my new favourite creation recently. If you don't believe me, here are four reasons why you need this recipe ASAP!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- It's the perfect balanced meal. By adding in extra vegetables and choosing a higher fibre, higher protein pasta, you get the perfect balanced meal!
- It is SO simple. Honestly do not let the ingredient list scare you away. This high protein mac and cheese is really only 3 steps and it's FOOL PROOF so it's the perfect easy weeknight dinner, last minute holiday side dish or meal prep option!
- It's picky eater approved. Looking for a way to get your kids (or you) to eat more vegetables? This is the perfect healthy mac and cheese for kids. You still get that creamy, cheesy taste and texture you expect while adding in some extra nutrition- there are SIX hidden veggies and I promise you won't even know it's healthy!
- It's nut free. I find a lot of 'healthier' mac and cheese options use a cashew base- which is great if you are vegan, but if you have a tree nut allergy it isn't so great. This is a great healthier nut free mac and cheese option for anyone looking for one!
*bonus: it's a great 'clean out the fridge' meal! Get creative and try changing up the vegetables based on whatever you have left in your fridge
Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
VEGGIES! You can't have hidden veggie pasta without veggies! For this recipe I use SIX vegetables including onion, zucchini, bell peppers, cauliflower, butternut squash and carrots. I find these are the most neutral tasting vegetables, however if you want to experiment feel free to!
Pasta. Any pasta will work. For a classic mac and cheese choose elbow macaroni noodles! To make this high protein mac and cheese I highly recommend using a chickpea or lentil based pasta for an extra protein and fibre boost (my personal favourite is Chickapea- which you can get at Costco!!)
Vegetable broth. For flavour, and texture! No one likes a dry mac and cheese. I always like to choose a lower sodium broth in all of my cooking and then adjusting the salt to my desired preference.
Pasta water. If you forget to reserve a half of a cup of pasta water after draining your pasta- don't worry any water will work! I just like using pasta water when I can as it has a subtle salt flavour I love!
Spices. The only spices you are going to need are garlic powder, salt and black pepper!
Dijon mustard. The secret ingredient to getting that sharp cheddar flavour we all love in a comforting mac and cheese! I recommend using an old fashion or grainy Dijon mustard if you can for the most authentic flavour. If you want a little bit more of a bite feel free to add more!
Flour. I use all purpose flour for this hidden veggie pasta. All you need is 2 tablespoons to help thicken the cheese sauce!
Butter. To make a traditional roux for our cheese sauce we want equal parts butter and flour!
Cheese. You can't have a good mac and cheese without CHEESE! Feel free to use whatever type of cheese you normally add to your mac and cheese (or even a combination of a few of your favourites). I use a medium cheddar cheese in mine!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Arrange onion, bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, butternut squash, carrots and garlic on the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes.
- While the vegetables are baking, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Don't forget to reserve ½ a cup of pasta water for later!
- Once your vegetables are done, add them to a food processor or high powered blender with vegetable broth and reserved pasta water and blend until smooth ( you may need to do this in batches).
- In a large pot over medium heat add butter and flour and whisk until a roux forms. Add your milk and whisk until it begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add cheese, vegetable puree, garlic powder, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper and stir until fully combined.
- Remove sauce from the heat and pour in your cooked pasta.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: if using chickpea pasta the only gluten containing ingredient is the flour- this is a quick fix and can be substituted with gluten free flour!
To make dairy-free: replace the butter and cheddar cheese with non dairy options!
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut free!
To add additional protein substitute the vegetable broth with bone broth and add some cooked shredded chicken!
Equipment
Storage
These Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for 3 months. To reheat from frozen thaw in fridge overnight!
Top Tips for Success
You can make this mac and cheese a baked mac and cheese! Add the pasta and sauce into a casserole dish, top with breadcrumbs and additional cheese and broil in the oven until brown!
Frequently Asked Questions
YES!! One of the best things about this hidden veggie mac and cheese is kids will LOVE IT! I promise they won't even know it's filled with vegetables.
The pasta! I love using chickpea or lentil pasta for an easy protein source in dishes like this one.
Another option would be adding in some shredded chicken or even blending soft tofu into the sauce!
OKAY so you *might* not think this is a traditional comfort food-type mac and cheese when you bite into it but I promise you will still get the creamy, cheesy goodness you love. I find this tastes slightly sweeter and more like a butternut squash mac and cheese than a traditional mac and cheese (duh there's butternut squash in it)!
Try adding additional cheese or hot sauce if you really want to disguise the veg
I have not personally tried! I'm sure you could try using vegan butter, milk and cheese substitutes and it would be fine! The only thing I'm not 100% sure about would be the cheese. I personally find vegan cheeses don't melt quite as well (or I haven't found one yet)! However even adding in some nutritional yeast would be a great option!
More vegetable packed dinner ideas
I LOVE finding ways to incorporate more veggies into my meals without sacrificing taste! If you loved this hidden veg mac and cheese you need to try some more of my vegetable packed dinners....
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Vegetable Puree
- 1 medium yellow onion sliced
- 2 medium red or orange bell peppers sliced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 medium zucchini sliced
- 2 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 medium carrot sliced
- 3 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup pasta water reserved
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Mac and Cheese
- 16 oz uncooked chickpea or lentil elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- hot sauce to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
- Arrange onion, bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, butternut squash, carrots and garlic on the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes.
- While the vegetables are baking, cook your pasta according to the package instructions. Don't forget to reserve ½ a cup of pasta water for later!
- Once your vegetables are done, add them to a food processor or high powered blender with vegetable broth and reserved pasta water and blend until smooth ( you may need to do this in batches).
- In a large pot over medium heat add butter and flour and whisk until a roux forms. Add your milk and whisk until it begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add cheese, vegetable puree, garlic powder, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper and stir until fully combined.
- Remove sauce from the heat and pour in your cooked pasta.
Jasmine says
Loved the added veggies and my toddler ate it!
Nora says
My toddlers love this recipe and I love to freeze the extra sauce in silicon ice cube trays making it easy to add to pasta in a jiffy!
julie says
Can't wait to try this recipe for a summer get together!