My refrigerator’s produce drawers have been heavy with winter vegetables from our produce share. Marveling at the beautiful orange of my beets and carrots, I did what few childless cooks do – sneakily hid vegetables in mac and cheese! I would go so far as to say they were completely undetectable.
I like to bake my Mac and Cheese, but this is also good served out of the pot.
Recipe: See-in-the-Dark Mac and Cheese
Summary: Staunch Velveeta fans will have no idea how many vitamins they’re consuming in this tricky, bright orange Mac and Cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 carrots, peeled
- 1 large golden beet, roasted and peeled
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 6 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- salt and seasonings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400, start heating your pasta water, and butter a large souffle dish or rectangular baking pan.
- Slice the carrots and barely cover with water in a saucepan. Simmer until quite soft, about 15 minutes.
- While the carrots are cooking, start the sauce: melt the butter in a large saucepan, whisk in the flour, and add the milk.
- Bring the sauce to a boil while stirring, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a food processor, puree the carrot slices and diced beet with enough cooking liquid to make a baby food-like consistency. Make sure it is really, really, smooth, stopping to scrape bits off the side if necessary. (I processed for 3-5 minutes).
- Stir the bright orange puree and cheese into the sauce, stirring until the cheese is melted. Season with salt and other seasonings if desired (I used a dash of garlic powder and cayenne). Don’t skimp on the salt.
- Cook your pasta according to package directions, drain, and toss with the sauce. Pour into the prepared baking dish, top with breadcrumbs, and bake for 30 minutes.