On Halloween this week, I wanted to whip up a home cooked meal that was quick, relatively easy, and that I could prep earlier in the day and re-heat before trick or treating. I make homemade macaroni and cheese often for my kids, so I picked this as the perfect Halloween night meal. I have my own standard recipe that I follow, but sometimes I get creative. Well, I did this week....and the results were amazing!
I shared a sneak peak of it on Instagram that night and touted that there were 4 ingredients that you just would believe were included in this dish (they have a star by them in the ingredient list below). I always do a "taste test" before serving to see if my crazy combination of flavors and "hidden nutrition" actually tastes okay. I was pleasantly surprised to report that, at least for me, it just tasted like the most creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese ever!
Ingredients:
*1 package of brown rice macaroni or penne pasta (if you have a Trader Joe's near you, their brown rice pasta is great; feel free to sub spelt or whole wheat pasta if you like)
*1/2-3/4 cup plain, unsweetened coconut milk
*1 cup fresh cauliflower (cooked and pureed in a food processor)
*1/2 cup cooked butternut squash (cooked and pureed in a food processor)
1 tbl. olive oil
1 tbl. dried onion
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp nutmet
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese jack, provolone, gouda, or "Italian blend" cheese (i.e., parmesan, asiago, mozzarella)
Prepare pasta according to label directions. Brown rice and spelt pasta cooks very fast and with mac 'n cheese, I tend to cook my pasta al dente, since I am then cooking it in the oven. So, stick to the low end on the time (usually 6-7 minutes with brown rice or spelt pasta).
While the pasta is cooking, grate your cheese. In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil and all the spices and simmer for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Add coconut milk and whisk lightly for another minute. Add your purees of cauliflower and squash and continue to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until completely incorporated, about 2-3 minutes. Then, add your cheese, lower heat to medium low and stir occasionally until cheese is completely melted. Mixture should be thickened but pourable, but not too thick or gooey. If needed, add a little more milk to thin it out if necessary.
Add cooked and drained pasta to this pan and stir well. Transfer to a casserole dish and cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. If you tuck this away in your fridge for reheating later, you will need to up the time to 20-25 minutes. If you like, you can sprinkle bread crumbs on the top in the last 7 minutes of cooking. For my healthy bread crumb option, click here!
That looks delicious, I love mac and cheese but my hubby will never eat it as it is. I usually make it with seasoned ground chicken with some pepper, garlic, cilantro, thyme and a few other seasonings, and then I make some mixed veggies in some garlic and butter and mix it all into the mac and cheese. He loves it.
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