This Healthy Vegetable Mac & Cheese recipe is a delicious, easy, weeknight dinner or side dish made in 25 minutes that your kids will love! Use your favorite vegetables to make this veggie mac & cheese suit your family's tastes!
Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions. Be sure to add ¼ tsp salt to the water used to boil the noodles.
Drain, do NOT rinse, and set aside.
Sauté Vegetables:
While macaroni is cooking, add 1 TBS olive oil and diced/shredded veggies to a medium sauté pan and sprinkle with salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until the veggies are soft but slightly firm.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce:
Mix flour, sea salt, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
When butter is melted, add flour mixture and whisk to combine.
Cook for 1 minute until mixture is slightly brown.
Add 1 cup milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Add sour cream (or Greek yogurand whisk until smooth.
Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture is thickened (about 3 minutes), stirring occasionally. Do not let it boil.
Once mixture is thick (sticks to the back of the spatula), reduce heat to low and add cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Taste and add more salt/seasoning if desired.
Put it together:
Add cooked elbow macaroni to the pot of cheese sauce and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed.
Add sautéed veggies and stir. Serve warm!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
Elbow macaroni. I have used both regular and whole wheat elbows to make this veggie mac and cheese with great results! You can use any type of pasta! I prefer using shapes like wheels, bowties, rotini, etc. because the cheese settles in to every nook and cranny! You can also use gluten-free pasta to make this recipe gluten-free!
Olive oil. Any neutral oil works great suggestions include avocado and canola oils.
Vegetables. Use 2 cups of your favorite veggies! In this particular batch of vegetable macaroni and cheese I used 1 cup broccoli (cut small) and 1 cup shredded zucchini.
Other ideas: yellow squash, carrots, bell peppers, onions, peas, tomatoes, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.
Butter. This recipe calls for salted butter. Unsalted butter works well, you may just need to add a touch more salt in the end!
Flour. All-purpose flour is used to thicken the cheese sauce. I don't recommend omitting it. However you can substitute a gluten-free all purpose flour for a gluten-free option.
Garlic Powder. The garlic powder really adds a subtle but important depth of flavor to to this dish! You can also used minced garlic, just sauté it with the vegetables.
Whole Milk. Any percentage of milk works well in this vegetable mac and cheese recipe! Just remember, the higher the fat content, the creamier your mac and cheese will be.
Sour cream. Full-fat is best, but I also use Greek Yogurt quite often with great results!
Cheese! I prefer to use sharp cheddar or a mix of cheddar and gouda (yum). You can use your favorite cheese!
To store/freeze
Store any leftover veggie mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months
To reheat:
Place the mac and cheese in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and warm for 30-60 seconds, or until it's heated through. You may need to add a splash of milk to restore the original creaminess, because the cheese sauce will continue to soak into the macaroni as it cools! If reheating from frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before reheating.