What's For Dinner: Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

I have to admit that when we are strapped for dinner ideas, more than once I have headed to the pantry and come back to the kitchen with a box of macaroni and cheese. I try to justify the choice in that at least it's the "organic" brand, but, still, powdered cheese? Probably not the most wholesome dinner choice. Even if it is delicious and filling.

But, honestly, making macaroni and cheese from scratch really isn't that difficult. The only real difference is that, in lieu of using a packet of cheese powder, you have to make a simple béchamel sauce instead. While a classic béchamel sauce requires butter, this recipe (adapted from a recent issue of Real Simple magazine) uses olive oil.

This macaroni and cheese gets a big lift in flavor from the addition of roasted vegetables. I'd say it could be one of those "fool your kids into eating vegetables" kind of meals, except, aside from the cauliflower, nothing is really hiding out in this dish.

While, of course, the typical pasta in macaroni and cheese is elbow macaroni, there's really no reason why you couldn't use a different pasta shape. I'd recommend using something with plenty of nooks and crannies to hold onto as much of the cheesy sauce as possible -- for my version, I used campanelle.

This recipe comes together in less than 45 minutes, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner. Looks like I have no more excuses when it comes to eating macaroni and cheese from a box -- particularly since this veggie-stuffed version is quite a bit more wholesome.

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups small cauliflower florets
1 pint grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 ounces dried pasta (shells, campanelle, penne)
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups organic 1% (or low-fat) milk
1 1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, toss together the broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables onto the prepped baking sheet. Roast until tender, (flipping halfway through), 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from the oven.
3. While the vegetables are roasting, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and, while whisking, cook for 30 seconds. Then slowly whisk in the milk. Cook until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cheddar cheese, vegetables, and pasta. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
6. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square (or 2-quart) baking dish. Top with the remaining half-cup cheddar cheese and broil under golden and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

(adapted from this Real Simple recipe)

What's For Dinner: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I asked D if he had any requests for dinner and he asked for homemade macaroni and cheese. A quick Internet search for Martha's recipe, and I was ready to prepare it for dinner. This mac and cheese recipe is actually fairly simple, just be prepared to grate a whole lotta cheese during the prep phase! The resulting mac and cheese was super-creamy (even though I didn't add the whole amount of cheese sauce the recipe asked for) and full of cheesy goodness. A perfect recipe for a crisp fall evening.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (printer-friendly version)

makes 6+ servings

3 slices white bread

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 cups organic skim milk

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/4 cups pecorino Romano cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups whole wheat macaroni cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly toast the three slices of bread. Remove the crusts. Tear each slice into small pieces and put them into the bowl of a food processor. Process the bread until breadcrumbs form. Set aside.

3. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat over medium to medium-high heat.

4. In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter begins to bubble, stir in the flour. Stir to combine.

5. Pour the hot milk into the saucepan with the flour-butter mixture. Whisk constantly until bubbles form and the mixture thickens.

6. Remove from the heat. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add in 1.5 cups of the cheddar cheese and all of the pecorino Romano cheese. Stir to combine. Set the cheese mixture aside.

7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the elbow macaroni and cook until al dente, about 1-2 minutes prior to the cooking time listed on the package.

8. Once the macaroni is cooked, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

9. Pour the macaroni into a large bowl. Stir in one cup of the cheese sauce.

10. Spray a 2 quart glass container with cooking spray. Spoon the macaroni cheese into the dish. Cover with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs.

11. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are lightly browned and the cheese sauce is bubbling.

12. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about five minutes before serving.

(adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe)