Mac & Cheeze with Hidden Veggies

My daughter was a picky eater when she was four years old. She refused to eat anything that looked like a vegetable, which made it difficult for me to get her to eat a balanced diet. I knew I had to come up with a creative solution to get her to eat her veggies.

That's when I started making macaroni and cheese with hidden veggies. My daughter loved helping me in the kitchen, so we would bake together, and I would secretly add chopped spinach or cauliflower to the sauce. She never noticed the veggies and loved the mac and cheese taste.

Years later, she loves this macaroni and cheese recipe and would add her favorite ingredients like bacon and onion.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni

• 225 gm shredded cheddar cheese and/or gruyere cheese (more cheese, tastier)

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or Panko bread crumbs

• 1 medium size onion

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 2 cups milk

• 1-2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• 4-6 slices of bacon, chop into small pieces

• 1 cup chopped spinach/blended cauliflower

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F or 200°C.

2. Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

3. Creating the white sauce:

   1. in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

   2. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

   3. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.

   4. Add the cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thick and smooth.

4. In a separate skillet, cook chopped onion until soft, then add bacon and the chopped spinach or cauliflower to the sauce. Stir to combine. For cooking cauliflower, add 1/4 cup of water from the boiling water that is cooking the pasta.

5. Pour the white sauce, spinach/cauliflower, bacon, onion, and cooked macaroni into a baking dish. Mix them well.

6. Coat the top of the dish with bread crumbs and Parmesan.

7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Macaroni and cheese is a classic comfort food that everyone loves. It's creamy, cheesy, and oh-so delicious. This recipe is perfect for those who want to indulge in a bowl of mac and cheese but also want to add some healthy veggies to their diet.