Hidden Veggie Healthy Macaroni and Cheese Casserole!

I have been trying to develop this recipe for a while. I love macaroni and cheese, but I want to enjoy it in a healthy way. As my readers know, my mission when I create recipes is to make our already favorite foods in a more clean and nutrition beneficial way. I finally created a delicious way to have mac and cheese while getting lean protein and a serving of vegetables. As always, feel free to alter the recipe to you and your families specific liking. 

What you need:

This recipe is designed for a small, 8-9 inch baking pan. If you are using a standard, large baking pan, double everything in this recipe. 

• Half a bag of frozen or fresh cauliflower 
• Half a box (6 oz) of hidden veggie noddles (or healthy noodle of choice)
• 1 cup of low fat or fat free cottage cheese
• 1 container (5-6 oz.) of plain frozen yogurt (do not accidentally buy vanilla, this will be disgusting. Yes, I am unfortunately speaking from experience. Ensure your greek yogurt is plain.)
• 3/4 cup of plain Almond Milk (or healthy milk of choice; coconut, skim, etc.)
• 1-2 cup of low fat shredded cheese of choice

What you do:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.) Boil noodles

3.) Cook cauliflower as instructed; microwave or boil to get them soft

4.) Once cauliflower is cooked, place it in a blender or food processor with almond milk, then mix until you have a thick, creamy mixture. I have an old, not so great blender so I had to thoroughly mix and stir for about 5 minutes to get this accomplished.

 

5.) Place cauliflower mixture, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt into a large mixing bowl and blend together thoroughly. 

6.) Drain noodles through a strainer then add them into the mixing bowl

7.) Combine everything together thoroughly 

8.) Place into baking pan

9.) Top with low fat shredded cheese of choice

10.) Bake 20-40 minutes until top of cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. If you used a 8-9 inch baking pan, cooking time is approximately 20-25 minutes; a larger pan will be closer to 40.

Nutritional Information:

This will vary based on different ingredients and specific brands used; this is to be used as a generic guide only.

Servings: 5

Calories: 110

Fat: 7g

Carbohydrates: 17g

Fiber: 2g

Protein: 16g

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