HIDDEN VEG MAC N CHEESE

By Rachel Rumble, from Feed the Rumble

My kids are in a reeallll beige stage. I'm not pushing it. I've tried recipes that have taken me 60 minutes and have ended up on the floor or in the bin, wasting me time and money. So I asked Rachel Rumble who runs ‘Feed the Rumble’ a batch cooking service for Sussex parents for a recipe my kids would actually eat. Here ya go :) 

Here’s a super easy hidden veg mac n cheese recipe for the whole family using one pan & frozen veggies to save time on chopping! You can mix up which veggies you use but choose reds or oranges to keep up the illusion of a cheesy sauce…

I like to use cup measure as it’s quicker and my client’s rarely have working weighing scales!"

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup frozen cauliflower florets

1 cup frozen red peppers

1 cup frozen sweetcorn

1 cup frozen butternut squash

3 cups milk - of choice; divided

1 tablespoon butter (optional)

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups dried pasta - macaroni, bowtie, or other short pastas

2 cups grated cheese - cheddar, or whatever your family loves

Method

● In your biggest pot, bring a little water to a boil. Using a steamer layer, add all the

frozen veg. Cover and cook for ~10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

● Tip the cooked vegetables from the steamer into a blender with ½ cup of the milk.

Blend until smooth, adding splashes of water or milk if needed. You can use a stick

blender if you prefer, just empty the water from the pan and blend in there to save on

washing up.

● Drain the water you used for steaming the vegetables from the pot. Pour the

vegetable mixture into the pot. Add the rest of the milk, butter (if using), onion

powder, and garlic powder (plus any other flavours your family enjoy)

● Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the pasta to

the pot. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for anywhere from 8 to 20

minutes - depending on your pasta choice - until the pasta is tender. Check for pasta

doneness at 8 minutes and go from there.

● You may need to add some splashes of liquid as you’re cooking if you think the pot is

looking dry.

● When the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from heat. Stir in the cheese to make a

thick and creamy sauce. If you want to thin the sauce, add some splashes of water

and stir until it’s your dream consistency.

Best eaten straight away but can be stored in the fridge for a few days. You may need to add

an extra dash of milk/water when reheating to keep the gooey texture.

Rachel at Feed the Rumble batch cooks for parents and busy people in Sussex. Find

out more feedtherumble.com or @feedtherumble on instagram