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Healthy Carrot Macaroni and Cheese

A creamy and delicious macaroni and cheese that has no butter, very little cheese, and uses pureed carrot for a robust orange color. But nobody will ever know. It really does taste that good!

Sometimes you’ve got to add veggies in where you can. This got me thinking about our family favorites and how I can hide some veggies in them. I’m starting with Macaroni and Cheese. The key will be to still have a nice creamy sauce but to use less cheese and include a vegetable.

I thought if I could make macaroni and cheese with very little cheese, but it’s still orange, nobody will know the difference.

How To Make Carrot Macaroni And Cheese

I cooked some carrots and then pureed them really well with the cooking water. I added flour and milk to that and some cheese. But not very much. It was 1 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/2 cup of cheddar.

It made a nice creamy sauce with a perfectly orange cheddar color. I mixed it with cooked elbow macaroni.

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese is decidedly delicious and due to its intense orange color, people believe it’s loaded with cheese even though it’s not. I guess we really do eat with our eyes. And if our eyes say, “CHEESE!” our mouths lap it up.

For more great Mac n Cheese recipes, check out our series over on TheCookful! And if you want a more traditional sauce, try my Quick Mac n Cheese Sauce.

More Pasta Recipes

Want more delicious pasta recipes for your family? Check these out too!

Podcast Episode: Making Carrot Mac n Cheese

Listen to me briefly explain how this healthier mac and cheese is made, with great tips along the way, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

Print

Carrot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

A creamy and delicious macaroni and cheese that has no butter, very little cheese, and uses pureed carrot for a robust orange color. But nobody will ever know. It really does taste that good!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb. large elbow macaroni
  • 3 medium carrots, chopped (that’s about 1 and 1/4 cup of chopped carrots)
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk, divided
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile, put the carrots in a medium sauce pan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. While the carrots cook, measure the flour and 1 cup of the milk into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Put the lid on and shake really hard until well-combined.
  3. Put the carrots and their cooking liquid into a blender or food processor and puree really really well until very smooth. Scoop the carrot back into the saucepan and add the flour mixture as well as the remaining 1 cup of milk.
  4. Bring up to a bubble over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once it is bubbling remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan, cheddar, garlic powder, and salt. Taste and add more salt if desired.
  5. Combine sauce with the cooked drained pasta.

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