about the recipe
People go crazy over this Veggie Mac and Cheese! The rich and creamy sauce is the perfect balance for broccoli, carrots and baby peas. This recipe is highly adaptable, so feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand if you feel like switching things up. Sometimes when I'm craving extra cheese, I sprinkle some Parmesan on top.
INGREDIENTS
– 16 ounces gluten free penne – 1 head broccoli chopped – 1 ½ cups English peas shelled – 2 large carrots grated (or 3 medium sized) – 2 tablespoons butter – 2 tablespoons gluten free flour – 2 cups milk – 18 ounces cheddar cheese or cheese blend – 1 teaspoon mustard powder – 1 teaspoon sea salt – ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper – ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with cooking spray. – Cook pasta according to package directions, adding vegetables in the last two minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
– Meanwhile, make sauce by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
– Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes, until golden brown. (Note that some gluten-free flours do in brown well.)
Add milk and cook until slightly thickened, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add all but ½ cup cheese, mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Cook over low heat until cheese melts.
– Toss pasta and veggies with cheese sauce and place in a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. – Bake for 25 minutes.