Name: Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese - Food Fun Friday
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 16 oz package of elbow macaroni; 6 tablespoons of butter; 2 1/2 cups of a mixture of shredded cheddar and jack cheeses; 1 cup of milk; 1 cup pureed carrot; 1/4 teaspoon of salt; pepper to taste

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Kids love mac and cheese. It has been a staple with my kids and they are picky with a capital P. They are not fans of veggies, so I have to be creative with the way I present them. In the past I have sneaked them into Carrot Muffins and Spinach Muffins. Today, I am sharing a recipe for some deliciously cheesy Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese. It is so good that you won't believe there are veggies in there. If you are still craving mac and cheese try this exciting variation - One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese. Be sure to also try our Chili Macaroni Casserole.

Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese - for the picky eaters at your house. They will never know this yummy mac and cheese contains veggies!

Most of this hidden veggie baked mac and cheese recipe is made on the stove top. You just throw it in the oven for the last bit to bake.

You can certainly up the level of cheesiness in this recipe. I thought 2 ½ cups were plenty, but you could go for 3 cups and have the ultimate cheesy meal. We used a cheddar/jack mix but you can use all cheddar if you want.

The secret veggie in the baked mac and cheese? Carrots! I pureed them ahead of time and froze them in an ice cube tray. They I just popped them out as needed.

I used one cup of thawed pureed carrot, but as with the cheese, you can up the amount of carrot. If you choose to do this, taste it as you go along to make sure you are not adding so much that it changes the taste of the dish.

After adding the milk and mixing all the ingredients, I poured it into a 2 ½ quart CorningWare baking dish and popped it in the oven.

Thirty minutes later, my kids were chowing down on some scrumptious mac and cheese never knowing that they were getting some nutritious carrots as well. Mission accomplished!

How to make Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese - kids will love this!

This is a great recipe to bring to a potluck. This would also be delicious to make with some chicken, ham or other kind of meat mixed in. Yum! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese

Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese - Food Fun Friday

Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese - for the picky eaters at your house. They will never know this yummy mac and cheese contains veggies!

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hidden veggie baked mac and cheese

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 453kcal

Author: Vicky

Equipment

9X13 Casserole Dish

Ingredients

16 oz package of elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons of butter
2 ½ cups of a mixture of shredded cheddar and jack cheeses
1 cup of milk
1 cup pureed carrot
¼ teaspoon of salt
pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil pasta according to package directions.
Drain and return to pot.
Stir in butter over low heat until butter is melted. Remove from heat.
Stir in cheese.
Add in defrosted carrot puree and stir to combine.
Add milk, salt and pepper.
Transfer to a 2 ½ quart greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Nutrition

If you liked these Hidden Veggie Baked Mac and Cheese check out:

Mac and Cheese Muffins

Bacon Mac and Cheese

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