Adding Veggies to Macaroni & Cheese

I have a confession.

I wanted to eat Macaroni and Cheese for dinner tonight. That’s it, just Mac and Cheese. I didn’t want any little green veggies filling up the plate, I just wanted some old fashioned comfort food…from a box (I’ve never made homemade Mac & Cheese, that just seems too dangerous). I wanted to eat a dinner of boxed Kraft Mac and Cheese.

This is not a fact I’m proud of…

However, I am proud of these, because I have three veggies shoved in those little suckers!

I decided that I could justify eating Macaroni and Cheese if I found a way to add some veggies. I also thought it would be a good time to try making Mac and Cheese cups, since that would help with portion control.

 

As my base I used the Kraft Home-style 4 cheese blend kit. It comes with everything to make the Macaroni and Cheese. While the pasta was cooking, I steamed some broccoli and spinach, then chopped it into small pieces. I set this aside to add later. After the pasta was cooked, I mixed the cheese with some butter and milk, then I added 1/2 cup of Pumpkin puree.

Yes, I said pumpkin.

After the pumpkin was incorporated into the cheese, I folded in the pasta, spinach, and broccoli. Using an ice cream scoop I spooned the pasta mix into a greased muffin pan, and topped each cup with a little shredded cheddar and the breadcrumb mix from the Kraft kit. Baked at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.

Verdict: They were pretty darn good. I’m honestly not a fan of the Kraft Home-style kits, but this turned out pretty well. There was a slight pumpkin flavor, but not too strong, and the Spinach/Broccoli were so finely chopped that I didn’t taste them. There were also filling, I only ate 2 (which is unusual for me and Mac & Cheese).

I won’t lie to myself and say it was healthy simply because I incorporated some veggies; however, it has potential. I think next time I’ll try a homemade Macaroni recipe to lighten the overall calories, then I’m thinking butternut squash instead of pumpkin. Oh the possibilities…

 

What are your favorite Mac & Cheese mix-ins? I have a few other ideas floating around my head…like white cheddar and pesto…

 

*Funny Fact – That’s arugula on the plate in the first picture and without thinking I too a huge bite. It was like a mouthful of pepper weeds, just awful. I meant to mix it with some spinach and totally forgot. Oh well, it looked good in the picture at least.

Polenta Gratin with Mushrooms & Fontina

What would you say if I told you that this meal took less than 15 minutes? That’s no joke folks!

A few years back, someone at the grocery store introduced me to pre-made polenta in this funny tube. It looked gross, but he was cute, so I feigned interest and bought a funky tube of polenta. Little did I know, he actually knew what he was talking about, go figure.

In truth, I’ve never made polenta from scratch so I have no idea how the taste compares, but I’ve come to love my little tubes of polenta. I usually keep one in my pantry at all times for a super quick meal.

This was one of those nights. Thanks goodness it’s incredibly fast, easy and fancy enough to serve to guests. They’ll think you slaved over the stove for them.

Promise.

Polenta Gratin w/ Mushrooms & Fontina

Serves: 4

1 Tube Ready Made Polenta (I prefer plain, but you can use pre-seasoned)

8 oz Mushrooms (Baby Bella or White Button)

4 Slices Fontina Cheese (1/2 C grated)

1/2 Cup 1% Milk

1 Tablespoon Flour

1 Tablespoon Butter

Garlic (2 cloves or to taste. We really like garlic)

Herbs (I used about 1 teaspoon dried Italian blend, but I would recommend fresh if you can)

Cooking Spray

Step 1: Spray 8×8 Baking Dish with Cooking Spray. Heat oven to 500 degrees.

Step 2: Unwrap your Polenta by cutting off both ends quickly with a sharp knife. Then make a single slice along the seam and peel open. This will leave you with a tube instead of forcing you to squeeze it out of the wrapper.

Slice the polenta and layer in the baking dish. You should overlap the slices slightly, but you want a single layer. Don’t do multiple layers or it will be too dry.

Step 3: Slice the mushrooms and sauté with the garlic until tender.

Step 4: Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour and stir until mushrooms are coated. Then add the butter and milk, stirring until thickened. Add the herbs.

Step 5: Pour the mushroom mixture over the polenta slices.

Step 6: Add the cheese.

Step 7: Bake at 500 degrees for about 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browning.

Now plate up that gooey, cheesy goodness and enjoy!

Make this even faster by replacing the flour, butter, and milk with ready made Alfredo Sauce. Just toss the sauce with the mushrooms and pour over the polenta. Top with the cheese and bake for the same amount of time.

I used this cheese, found at Trader Joe’s Deli department. The tube of polenta was also purchased from Trader Joe’s but you can find it at most major markets as well as Henry’s, Whole Foods, and Fresh & Easy.

Instead of fresh garlic I used these dry slices. I bought this jar at Homegoods a while back, it’s pretty genius with tons of flavor.

My only other advice…don’t eat dried garlic slices straight out of the jar. My childlike curiosity got the better of me, and it was gross. Learn from my mistakes people.

Otherwise, ENJOY!!

SHOWING THE LOVE!!

Linking to: Funky Junk Interiors, Craft-O-Maniac, The Girl Creative, Making the World Cuter, Savvy Southern Style, Tasty Tuesday Blog Party at Forever Wherever, Ginger Snap Crafts, Blue Cricket Design, Remodelaholic, The Crafty Nest, Addicted 2 Decorating, The Shabby Nest