Hiya friends! Today I’m bringing back a recipe I posted on this blog before I’d told anyone I had a blog. It was my hidden little part of the Internet and I was just trying to figure out all the ins and outs of websites and blogging before I let the world in on my secret. It was also before I knew anything about how to take pictures of food. I’m still learning and have a long way to go, but I don’t shudder at the majority of my photography anymore, so that’s progress. And so when I made a batch of these veggie mac and cheese muffins recently, I knew I needed to redo the photos and republish this recipe. Cause it’s a really good one and deserves to come out of hiding! J, my 3-year-old, has been begging me for mac and cheese recently. He’s a bit crazed. And while I love to experiment and do things like my kale and butternut squash mac and cheese, these individual muffins are what he knows best. He loves ALL the cheesy goodness – there are THREE kinds of cheese in these muffins – and I love ALL the veggie goodness – there are THREE kinds of vegetables, too! That’s a winner in my book! And the kiddos gobble them down. J had 3 that night and M, my 5-year-old, chowed down on 2 of these. Can’t blame them - look at that cheesy, golden brown deliciousness! So let’s get cooking. Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make veggie mac and cheese muffins. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Cooking liquid: I cook my macaroni pasta in a half milk-half water mixture when I make these mac and cheese muffins to add extra creamy richness. Just heat up your milk and water on the stove but be sure to watch it VERY carefully - once it boils, it can boil over in a second and that’s not fun. You can also just cook the pasta in water the usual way. Pasta: I love using a whole wheat or whole grain pasta when I can find it, but regular is of course OK too. I’ve used elbow macaroni but small or medium shells or another small size pasta would work too. Cheese: I use a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese in the muffins, but you could use all cheddar if you want. Or get a little more adventurous and try Monterey Jack or Fontina. You could add a little gouda to some of the mix for the grownups. Play with it! Veggies: I use a combination of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for the veggie puree. It’s often found all together in one bag in the freezer section as “California mix.” I cook it in a small amount of water on the stove for about 10 minutes, then puree it using an immersion blender.
You can use any combination of veggies you think your kids will like. Carrots give it a bit of sweetness and also make the color look like it’s extra cheesy. Cauliflower is pretty mild and well-hidden. Broccoli, spinach and peas are great options and will bring a nice hint of green. You can also serve this mac & cheese straight from the stove if you don’t want to bake it as muffins. I have done that. But those crunchy breadcrumbs on top are awfully irresistible and worth the extra step for me! Last thing, let’s talk about how to store leftovers. Once cooled, these mac and cheese muffins can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until hot. They also freeze great! Let cool, then place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Label and date it then freeze for up to 3-4 months. Let thaw overnight or pop one straight in the microwave and reheat until warmed through. Oh, and if you are looking for a pairing for your littlest one, check out these baby meatballs. Or make meatloaf muffins if your kids love anything in muffin form like mine do! I hope you give these veggie mac and cheese muffins a try - they are a huge hit in our house for the kids and the grown-ups. And have been for years. Have a wonderful week! XO, Kathryn (Note: This post has been updated with new photographs and refreshed text. It was originally posted in May 2015.) Cooking liquid: I cook my macaroni pasta in a half milk-half water mixture when I make these mac and cheese muffins to add extra creamy richness. Just heat up your milk and water on the stove but be sure to watch it VERY carefully - once it boils, it can boil over in a second and that’s not fun. You can also just cook the pasta in water the usual way. Pasta: I love using a whole wheat or whole grain pasta when I can find it, but regular is of course OK too. I’ve used elbow macaroni but small or medium shells or another small size pasta would work too. Cheese: I use a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese in the muffins, but you could use all cheddar if you want. Or get a little more adventurous and try Monterey Jack or Fontina. You could add a little gouda to some of the mix for the grownups. Play with it! Veggies: I use a combination of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for the veggie puree. It’s often found all together in one bag in the freezer section as “California mix.” I cook it in a small amount of water on the stove for about 10 minutes, then puree it using an immersion blender. You can use any kind of veggie combination you want. See post for ideas and details. Storing: Once cooled, these mac and cheese muffins can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until hot.
