This hidden veggie mac and cheese is creamy, savory and absolutely delicious! It's your favorite mac and cheese, but with a nutritious and fiber-packed upgrade that you'll fall in love with.
Whether you're looking to sneak in some extra greens for the kids or simply want to enjoy a more wholesome version of this cheesy classic, veggie mac and cheese is the perfect solution.
Growing up, I've always loved mac and cheese. There's nothing a bowl of that cheesy and comforting deliciousness can't fix. But let's get real- it isn't the healthiest thing out there.
Lately, my focus has been on making meals that aren't just filling and delicious but also packed in enough nutrition, and this veggie-packed mac and cheese is just that, like the rasta pasta! Packed with vibrant veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach, this dish delivers all the creamy, cheesy goodness you crave—plus a boost of vitamins and fiber.
And if you're looking for some more easy dinners that are family friendly, try my Mediterranean baked Tilapia if you have fish, or some simple one pot rice and chicken or jambalaya if you don't have fish.
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What I Love About this Recipe
It's quick and easy. You'll need just under 40 minutes to make this fiber and nutrient-dense version of mac and cheese.
It's cheesy and delicious. You won't even realize the added veggies in there. It's that yum!
It's perfect for families with kids. If you have a picky eater at home, this recipe is a great way to sneak in some veggies into your kid's meal.
Recipe Ingredients
Pasta: I used elbow noodles here, because that's what I had at hand. You can use almost any other kind of pasta of your choice here. Penne, bowtie and shell pasta also work great.
Veggies: Here's where you can get creative. I picked carrots, cauliflower florets, and zucchini here. You can use other veggies like broccoli, sweet potatoes, bell peppers and even butternut squash.
Cheese: To balance out the flavors of the veggies and to lend the dish a ton of delicious flavor, I used a mix of sharp and extra-sharp cheddar cheese. You can also use a mix of other kinds of cheese like Mozzarella, Parmesan and Monterey Jack if you want to.
Sauce: To make the sauce, you'll need some all-purpose flour, half and half, and unsalted butter.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- To make gluten-free veggie mac and cheese, you can swap the pasta with gluten-free pasta and use cornflour instead of all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce.
- To bump up the protein content of the dish, you can add some shredded rotisserie chicken into the mix or swap the regular pasta with chickpea or protein pasta.
- For additional flavor and deliciousness, you can add some garlic powder, onion powder and a bit of mustard paste as well. Italian seasoning can also be an excellent addition to the sauce.
How to Make Veggie Mac and Cheese
- In a large stockpot fitted with a steamer basket, steam the veggies, covered, for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. You can also boil the veggies if you want to.
- Transfer the veggies to a blender and add in 1 cup of half and half. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth, creamy and fully pureed. Strain the veggies if you want to, and set it aside.
- In a large saucepan, cook the elbow noodles as directed on the package until al dente and drain well.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add in the flour, cooking and whisking for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Now add the remaining 1⁄2 cup of half and half, stir and continue cooking until it begins to simmer, for about 2-4 minutes.
- Now add in the strained veggie puree and salt and bring to it a low boil. Add in the shredded cheddar cheese and sharp cheddar cheese, one handful at a time, stirring
well until the cheese is all added and melted.
- Cook the sauce for 1-2 more minutes or until thickened and then carefully pour the cheese sauce over the cooked noodles in a large pot or serving bowl and carefully fold together. Serve hot.
Storing Leftovers
Store your leftover mac and cheese for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and reheat it in the microwave or a pot over low-medium heat. If you feel that its texture has turned too thick or clumpy, you can add a splash of milk to restore its creaminess.
Tips & Tricks to Make Veggie Mac and Cheese
- Want the mac and cheese to have a spicy kick? Add some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes into the mix, or just add a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
- You can also make the sauce in a huge batch and freeze it for later if you want to. Use a freezer safe container or bag and the sauce should stay good for up to 6 months.
- This veggie packed cheese sauce can double up as a dip for your nachos or even as a sauce for your tacos.
- If the sauce hasn't thickened up enough, you can let it simmer over low heat to let the liquid evaporate, or just add a simple cornstarch and water slurry into it to get it to thicken.
- Experiment with other veggies like peas, spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes and edamame.
- For a bit of texture, you can also top the pot of veggie mac and cheese with some toasted panko breadcrumbs.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This rich and creamy mac and cheese is great to enjoy on its own. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can pair it with a simple side like crispy baked potato wedges or some garlic herb roasted potatoes.
If you don't want to spend too long in the kitchen putting together a side dish, you can stick to a simple salad like cucumber and tomato salad. To keep it healthy, finish up with a nice and refreshing mango sago for dessert.
Recipe FAQs
You don't. The puree is mostly going to be smooth, and will pack in a lot of fiber too. Straining it is just an extra step that you don't need.
You absolutely can! Frozen veggies cook faster too, which is another plus.
Yes, use vegan butter, non dairy milk, and non-dairy cheese.
Absolutely! You can use gluten-free pasta to make a gluten-free version of veggie mac and cheese. Many gluten-free pasta options are available, such as those made from rice, quinoa, or chickpeas.
More Easy Dinner Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this vegetable mac and cheese or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Veggie Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup Carrots chopped
- ½ Cauliflower cut into florets (~4 cups)
- 1 Zucchini peeled and chopped
- 1 ½ cups Half and half divided
- 1 Elbow noodles 16 ounce box
- 2 tablespoon Salted butter
- 2 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 8 ounce Sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 4 ounce Extra sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large stockpot fitted with a steamer basket, steam the veggies, covered, for 15-20 minutes until fork tender. You can also boil the veggies if you want to.
- Transfer the veggies to a blender and add in 1 cup of half and half. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth, creamy and fully pureed. Strain the veggies if you want to, and set it aside.
- In a large saucepan, cook the elbow noodles as directed on the package until al dente and drain well.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add in the flour, cooking and whisking for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Now add the remaining 1⁄2 cup of half and half, stir and continue cooking until it begins to simmer, for about 2-4 minutes.
- Now add in the strained veggie puree and salt and bring to it a low boil. Next, add in the cheese, one handful at a time, stirring well until the cheese is all added and melted.
- Cook the sauce for 1-2 more minutes or until thickened and then carefully pour the cheese sauce over the cooked noodles in a large pot and fold together. Serve hot.
Notes
- Want the mac and cheese to have a spicy kick? Add some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes into the mix, or just add a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
- You can also make the sauce in a huge batch and freeze it for later if you want to. Use a freezer safe container or bag and the sauce should stay good for up to 6 months.
- This veggie packed cheese sauce can double up as a dip for your nachos or even as a sauce for your tacos.
- If the sauce hasn't thickened up enough, you can let it simmer over low heat to let the liquid evaporate, or just add a simple cornstarch and water slurry into it to get it to thicken.
- Experiment with other veggies like peas, spinach, kale, cherry tomatoes and edamame.
- For a bit of texture, you can also top the pot of veggie mac and cheese with some toasted panko breadcrumbs.
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Meredith Jones says
For picky eaters it’s a no. At least for my family. All finished you could totally tell it had veggies in it and barely tasted cheesy. I would amp it up for my hubs and I but for my kids a least it’s a no
Whitni says
Mine did not look like the picture at all. It's had "red specs" which were actually orange from the carrots but and not creamy looking like yours at all. So what do you suppose went wrong? Kids wanted nothing to do with it because it looks different:(
maybe reduce the carrots next time and also, blend till smooth.
Bilikis says
Thanks for the recipe ma