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Vegetable Mac & Cheese

Name: Vegetable Mac & Cheese
Prep time: 30

(17 votes, average: 4.06 out of 5)

30 min prep

4 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

13 ingredients

Mac and cheese is everyone’s favorite comfort food, especially children. Make this vegetable mac & cheese with whole-wheat pasta and cancer-fighting cruciferous veggies, and it becomes an inexpensive, healthy meal that will help...

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups warm milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan (optional)
Pepper, to taste

½ pound whole wheat pasta, cooked
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ small cauliflower, chopped
1 ½ cups spinach
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

542 cals

Fat

27 g

Saturated Fat

16 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

2 g

Monounsaturated Fat

8 g

Carbohydrates

58 g

Sugar

7 g

Fiber

2 g

Protein

22 g

Sodium

649 mg

Directions

Cook pasta until al-dente. Make the bechamel sauce as directed here.
Heat olive oil In a sauté pan over medium high flame. Add the chopped cauliflower and sauté until the cauliflower is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach to the cauliflower and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl mix together béchamel sauce, cooked pasta, cauliflower, and spinach. Place in a greased casserole dish and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Chef Tips

If using fresh vegetables, to speed things up in step 3, break the cauliflower into flowerets, and steam for 3 minutes before chopping and sautéing. You can do this ahead of time and freeze any extra you don’t need for the recipe.

Registered Dietitian Approved

All our recipes are created by chefs and reviewed by our oncology-trained staff Registered Dietitian, Kate Ueland, MS, RD, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and meets the standards set by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.