Roasted Veggie Mac and Cheese

Most of the time when we have macaroni and cheese we eat it as a side dish.   If I'm being very truthful I'll tell you that we mostly eat boxed mac and cheese because it's just so easy to make.  I don't have to worry about buying different kinds of cheese, the noodles, and everything else needed to make it homemade.

However, when I'm making macaroni and cheese as an entree I always want it to be homemade.  I also have to think about what I can add to the dish so that it's filling enough to be considered an entree.  That isn't always easy because while a lot of people add ham to their mac I don't eat ham so that's not something I would ever add.

I recently saw a Roasted Veggie Mac and Cheese and thought it sounded really good.  While there were vegetables listed I knew I could use whatever I had in the refrigerator which was another point for this dish.  I ended up using broccoli, cauliflower, a bell pepper, and Brussels Sprouts.  I think the broccoli and cauliflower are definitely needed because they are pretty hearty vegetables and taste so good roasted.

Then I had to worry about the cheese.  I always use sharp cheddar cheese when I'm making mac and cheese but this time I added in creamy Havarti as well.  I figured the difference between the sharp cheese and the smooth and creamy cheese would make a delicious sauce and I was right!

This macaroni and cheese makes a lot.  I was surprised by how much we had left over after dinner which was great because I used it as a side dish for the next few days.  The vegetables were roasted which added tons of flavor to this dish.  The sauce was creamy with a slight bite and tasted great on both the pasta and vegetables. 

While I thought this was the perfect entree mac and cheese I know my husband was missing some meat.  Next time I would add some bacon to the pasta and I think that would help him.  This would be an awesome side dish at the holidays because it's hearty but vegetarian so a lot of different people could enjoy it.   You could also make roast the veggies a day ahead of time then put it all together the next day to serve.

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Roasted Veggie Mac and Cheese

Yield: serves 8-12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

A hearty macaroni and cheese mixed with tons of roasted veggies and a delightful sharp cheddar and creamy Havarti sauce.

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Ingredients

• 8 oz. broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 10 oz. cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 10 oz. Brussels Sprouts, quartered
• 1 T. olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 12 oz. elbow pasta
• 1 T. butter
• ¼ c. onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ c. flour
• 2 c. low fat milk
• 1 c. vegetable broth
• 1 ¼ c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 c. Havarti cheese, shredded
• 2 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Toss the broccoli, cauliflower, pepper, ad Brussels Sprouts with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread the vegetables out on the baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
6. Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat.
7. Add in the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
8. Stir in the flour and cook until flour mixture is golden.
9. Whisk in the milk slowly. Whisk in the broth. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
10. Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses.
11. Add the pasta and the roasted vegetables to the sauce and stir to combine.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light 2017