Mac & Cheese
"This recipe may sound odd, but it is delish! Very easy to make, you can even use frozen broccoli florets - just let them sit out while you're making the pasta and sauce so they defrost a bit."
- Ready In:
- 55mins
- Ingredients:
- 16
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat rotini
- 2 cups broccoli florets, steamed
- 2 pieces bread, toasted and ground to breadcrumbs
- 1 cup potato, peeled and finely chopped
- 1⁄4 cup carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1⁄3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1⁄3 cup margarine
- 1⁄3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 - 1 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- paprika, for sprinkling
directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, steam broccoli and set aside. I use my rice cooker. Simply put the florets in the cooker with 2-3 tbs of hot water and turn the cooker on. Broccoli will be bright green and tender-crips when done. Don't forget about it in there - it'll finish cooking before the rice cooker clicks off, so if you forget about it, you'll overcook your broccoli. Mine takes less than 10 minutes to cook.
- Make sure the carrots and potatoes are chopped very small; this will reduce the cooking time greatly. Place the chopped potatoes and carrots in small saucepan that had a lid. Add the 1 cup of water. Boil covered until tender, 10-15 minutes.
- While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, add the remaining ingredients to the blender or food processor (cheddar cheese, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, parmesan, margarine, salt, pepper). Once potatoes and carrots are done cooking, add them and their cooking water to the blender as well. Blend until VERY smooth. If needed, add milk or water 1 tbs at a time to thin. Taste for seasoning.
- Toast the bread and process into crumbs.
- Toss the cooked pasta and broccoli with the sauce. Place in a casserole dish and top with breadcrumbs, black pepper, and paprika.
- Bake for 25 minutes at 350 F until browned and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!
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Reviews
-
Made this for a house-bound neighbor couple who love when I fix them mac & cheese, & this was definitely a new, & I'm told, pleasant experience for them! I managed a good size taste before taking it over to them, so I can tell you for sure that I'll be making this again sometime, just for the 2 of us here at home! It's an unusual take on this dish, & I think it will make a great addition to my own dinner table! Thanks for posting the recipe! [Made & reviewed for one of my adopted chefs in this Spring's Pick A Chef event] -
My boyfriend and I have eaten this 3 times in the past week. It's so easy and tasty! Plus, it's a good way to get my picky guy to eat some veggies :)
