Recipe of the Month: Healthy Mac and Cheese

Try this delicious Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe that’s quick and easy. This 30-minute meal will have your family raving and your kids coming back for seconds!

Ingredients:

• ½ head of cauliflower
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 cup butternut pumpkin
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 cup full cream milk
• 1 tbsp garlic minced
• 2 cups shredded tasty cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 2 cups uncooked macaroni
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• 1 tbsp cornflour made into a paste with some water

Method:

1. Roughly chop the cauliflower, carrot and pumpkin and place in a microwave safe jug, add the vegetable stock. Cover and cook in the microwave for 7 minutes until tender.
2. In a food processor add the vegetable and stock mix and blitz until puréed.
3. Transfer the purée mix to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, add the milk, garlic and tasty cheese and mix until the cheese has melted. Once melted, take the cornflour paste and mix in to thicken.
4. Once ready, take half the sauce mixture and set aside, and leave the other half of the sauce in the saucepan.
5. Cook the macaroni as per directions on packet.
6. Once the macaroni is cooked, drain and add into the sauce in the saucepan, also add the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese and smoked paprika
7. Mix through, and you can serve as is, or you can choose to put in a serving dish and cover with a little more cheese and bake until the top is golden
8. * The half of sauce that has been put aside, can be frozen and used to make another batch. Just defrost in the fridge the night before. Once defrosted, heat in a small saucepan on the stove, and simply add cooked pasta

Here’s another kid-friendly recipe you might like: Purple Pancakes