Veggie Macaroni and Cheese

For ages I seem to have been craving macaroni and cheese. Literally for six months or so, I have saved/bookmarked/pinned a dozen or so macaroni recipes but had yet to make it. Something about that classic, creamy and cheesy goodness was calling my name. This past week, I finally decided it was time to get down to business. As usually happens, I had trouble deciding which recipe to make. I had bookmarked a lot of recipes, but none seemed exactly right. So, my solution was to combine a few together and make my own version! The result is a satisfying baked macaroni dish that also incorporates chopped vegetables for both flavor and nutrition.

This recipe makes a lot of macaroni, so feel free to cut the recipe in half if you are cooking for only two people and don't want a lot of leftovers. You can also add a larger variety of chopped vegetables than I have here, or omit them altogether if you are craving traditional, plain macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients:

1 small head of broccoli, chopped into small chunks

1 red bell pepper, diced small

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

2 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar

1 1/2 cups grated gruyere cheese 

2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish; set aside.

2. Toss broccoli and red pepper on a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside. Lower oven heat to 375.

3. Boil water in a large pot and cook macaroni according to package directions, minus 2-3 minutes (pasta will continue to cook when baked in the oven). Once done, immediately rinse pasta with cool water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to drain in a colander.

4.  In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the milk.

5. Meanwhile, in the same pot used to cook the pasta, cook the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Once the oil begins to bubble, slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

6. Remove milk mixture from heat. Stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Add macaroni and vegetables.

7. Pour the mixture into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. 

 

 Enjoy the homemade bubbly, cheesy goodness!