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Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese Recipe

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This hidden veggie mac and cheese recipe is creamy, flavorful, and loaded with so many delicious vegetables blended into a easy vegetarian sauce! It’s light, easy to make, and you won’t even notice the added veg.

This is a great alternative to boxed macaroni and cheese, with added vitamins, nutrients, and fiber from the vegetables. Serve with a light salad and garlic bread for a fantastic meal!

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I regularly add veggies to my mac and cheeses, like a cup of peas or fresh spinach, but this Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese recipe blends veggies in with the sauce. I add carrots and zucchini to give the sauce a nice texture and color, and onions and garlic to enhance the flavor. 

The result? A creamy cheesy mac that has a few servings of vegetables ready to go.

It’s a fantastic sneaky pasta, great for picky eaters to get more vegetables into their diets.

This Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese Recipe Is:

  • Creamy
  • Rich
  • Savory & Sweet
  • Flavorful
  • Loaded with Vegetables
  • Vegetarian and Gluten Free!
  • Ready in about 30 minutes for a quick easy weeknight meal
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Inexpensive and Affordable Family Pasta Recipes

I love how inexpensive homemade mac and cheese to make! This recipe uses a lot of ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or cupboards – most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious meals using a few staples you can rotate. 

By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

What’s In Hidden Veggie Macaroni and Cheese?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

  • Macaroni Noodles: you can use regular or gluten free noodles, depending on your dietary needs. You can even try whole wheat, high protein, or veggie pasta too! 
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Low sodium vegetable stock
  • Onion, Garlic, Zucchini, Carrots
  • Lemon Juice
  • Yellow Mustard
  • Turmeric – a staple in our spice cabinet! I try to add a teaspoon of turmeric into soups, stews, and rice dishes too.
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cheddar Cheese (optional)
  • Cashews: I love raw unsalted cashews in this recipe – there’s no need to get roasted nuts, since we will be blending them ourselves in the sauce.
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Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

This hidden vegetable mac and cheese recipe is what I call an Easy Weeknight Meal – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. 

These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those nights when you want a tasty homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. Browse our Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a quick meal can be on your table in no time.  Even faster than ordering takeout!

How Do I Make This Sneaky Vegetable Mac and Cheese Recipe?

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place macaroni back into the pot, and set aside.
  2. In a separate pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and sauté onion and garlic, for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, carrots, and zucchini and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
  3. Rinse the cashews and cover with just enough water to cover.  Put the cashews and water in a blender, and blend on high until smooth.  Add the cooked carrot, onion, and zucchini mixture into the blender. Add lemon juice, remaining olive oil, mustard, turmeric, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.  Blend until smooth.  
  4. Add the cashew vegetable mixture to the pasta pot and heat over low heat until bubbling.  Add in the cheddar cheese (if using) and stir well until the cheese has melted. Serve hot!
  5. For baked mac and cheese,  you can add breadcrumbs to the top and bake in the over for 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. 
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The Best Blender for Pureeing Vegetables

I recommend using a good-quality high speed blender for this recipe. I have a fantastic Vitamix blender, which I have been using for years, and it gets daily use in our home.

Choose a blender that has a lot of power, and can pulverize even the toughest of ingredients. My blender can chop ice, dates, frozen fruits, make soups, and even blend nuts into homemade nut butter. Using a good high-speed blender will make perfectly creamy smoothies and sauces every time!

More Easy Veggie Packed Recipes Your Family Will Love!

Meatless Baked Ziti Recipe (Vegetarian, Holiday Side Dish)

Creamy Garlic Carrots Recipe (Vegetarian Holiday Side Dish)

Cozy Autumn Vegetable Chowder Recipe (Vegan, Dairy Free Gluten Free)

Chickpea Noodle Soup Recipe (High Protein, Gluten Free, Vegan)

Pantry Peanut Noodles Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
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Get the Same Ingredients for this Vegetarian Mac and Cheese

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Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

Kelly Jensen
This Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese is creamy, dreamy, and loaded with so many delicious vegetables in the sauce!  A great vegetarian mac and cheese, with an easy dairy free/vegan option.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 356 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 oz box macaroni
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 3 carrots roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock
  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews soaked in hot water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and place macaroni back into the pot, and set aside.
  • In a separate pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and sauté onion and garlic, for 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, carrots, and zucchini and simmer for 20 minutes until tender.
  • Rinse the cashews and cover with just enough water to cover.  Put the cashews and water in a blender, and blend on high until smooth.  Add the cooked carrot, onion, and zucchini mixture into the blender. Add lemon juice, remaining olive oil, mustard, turmeric, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast.  Blend until smooth.
  • Add the cashew vegetable mixture to the pasta pot and heat over low heat until bubbling.  Add in the cheddar cheese (if using) and stir well until the cheese has melted. Serve hot!
  • For baked mac and cheese,  you can add breadcrumbs to the top and bake in the over for 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 11gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 353mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3965IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 2mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

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Posted in American, Dinners, Easy Weeknight Meals, Favorites, For Entertaining, Gluten Free, Holiday Recipes, Italian, Lunches, Pastas, Sauces, Side Dishes, The Herbeevore Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

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