Kid Approved, Healthy Mac and Cheese
My son Jack loves maccaroni and cheese, but his favorites are the boxed versions, or the instant kind where you squeeze the fake cheese onto the overcooked pasta. He also LOVES the mac and cheese at California Pizza Kitchen, which I looked up online and it is made with Velveeta, which hopefully we all know is NOT a healthy cheese. I used to make a slow cooker version where I used cheddar cheese soup out of a can, and I’m not a fan of that anymore either.
I went on a mission to come up with a healthy version of the creamy, not curdled, soft version of mac and cheese that my son so loves. I think I have perfected my version, and it includes whole, mostly organic or cleanly sourced ingredients. The most important thing is that Jack loves it and is a very happy boy when I make mac and cheese for dinner. This is also a great recipe to take to a potluck, as adults love it too!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup organic milk
- 1/4 cup organic half and half
- 4 ounces healthy cheese, cut into cubes (I use either Kerrygold or Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or cubed
- 3 T. Kerrygold butter
- 1 slice organic whole wheat bread
- 1 medium sized carrot
- salt, to taste
- 16 oz of your favorite pasta, cooked al dente (I like fusilli)
Instructions
- Starting with the milk, place all ingredients in a high-powered blender.
- Start blending slow, and increase the speed. If for some reason the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. If you have a Vitamix, gradually increase to high speed and blend until the mixture becomes warm and creamy, which takes a few minutes.
- Pour over warm pasta. It will seem soupy, but much of the liquid absorbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir, and bake another 5 minutes.
