Growing up, I didn’t eat many vegetables at all. Never an adventurous eater, I stuck to my token vegetables of green beans from a can and the occasional boiled carrots. Other than that, a side of corn, potatoes, or rice typically rounded out the meal each night.

Never a salad. Broccoli was out of the question. Tomatoes made me gag. And I couldn’t begin to identify a Brussels sprout.

Many children (and adults!) are just like I was. Leery of leaves. Content with the basic food groups of chicken, cheese, and carbs. Delicious as these foods may be, they don’t exactly constitute a well-rounded diet. And wherever we fall on the picky eater spectrum, we could all use more servings of vegetables in our diets.

Macaroni. Cheese. Cauliflower. Carrots.

A healthy twist on a classic side dish.

Macaroni and cheese is basically a staple dish in every American household. Especially those households that include children. On the average weekday, your macaroni and cheese may come from a box. No problem.

But sometimes it’s nice to go the extra mile and make macaroni and cheese from scratch. I’m thinking Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other family feast days. Oh, and potlucks. We have those every Sunday at church. I will definitely be adding this macaroni and cheese into my rotation of dishes to contribute.

green bean casserole and macaroni and three c’s

This past Sunday I brought this dish to church for our lunch fellowship. As I am apparently prone to do, I tested my new recipe on a room full of eaters. It was a success.

Creamy, cheesy comfort food with a nutritious boost of pureed cauliflower and carrots.

While I do think that it’s generally best to be upfront about what foods we are serving, it’s nice to be able to serve a classic comfort food that everyone will enjoy in a healthier form.

And the low down on how to make it? You can find the full recipe below, but the simplified version is this: boil the pasta;, steam the carrots and the cauliflower together until very soft; make a cheese sauce with milk, butter, cheddar cheese, and pureed vegetables. If you want to, after that you can bake it and top it with a garlicky bread crumb topping.

Here’s to getting more vegetable servings in our day…and in our kids!

{This dish can be made a day or two early and reheated to serve the next day. Make the dish through the sixth step and then refrigerate. Reheat the dish in the oven before finishing with the seventh and final step.}

Macaroni & Three C’s

Ingredients List:

• 16 oz macaroni
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 2 whole carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 heaping Tbsp flour
• 2 C milk
• 4 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3/4 tsp salt (more to taste)

Optional Topping

• 2 C bread crumbs
• 1/4 C butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Method:

1. Boil macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Place a steamer basket in a medium size saucepan and add water up to the bottom of the basket. Add chopped cauliflower and carrots. Turn the heat on medium-high and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetable are very soft.

3. While the vegetable are steaming, melt the butter in another medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and stir until the garlic is browned and fragrant, about thirty seconds. Stir in the flour. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring with a whisk at the same time. Use the whisk to completely mix together the milk and flour mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and heat until the mixture starts to simmer and thicken, about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. When the vegetables are very soft, transfer them to a blender. Pour in about a half cup of the warm milk and then blend the vegetables until they are completely smooth. Pour the puree into the rest of the milk mixture and stir to blend.

5. Add the cheese to the milk and vegetable puree in two additions, stirring well each time to allow the cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Stir in the salt. Add additional salt as needed.

6. Transfer the cooked macaroni to a large bowl. Pour in the cheese sauce. Stir the pasta thoroughly to evenly coat with cheese. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a serving dish. (At this point you can stop and enjoy your macaroni and cheese. Or you can continue to make a baked macaroni and cheese version.)

7. Combine bread crumbs and seasonings in a small bowl. Toss to mix. Pour in melted butter and stir with a fork until all the bread crumbs take on a wet appearance. Evenly sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes in a 400° oven to toast. (If your macaroni and cheese was made ahead of time, first reheat it in the 400° oven for fifteen to twenty minutes before adding the bread crumbs).

Were you an adventurous eater as a child?