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I don’t think I have ever snuck so many veggies into one meal for my kiddos EVER. This Sneaky Veggie Mac and Cheese recipe is going to be your new fav!!
First off, if you didn’t already notice from almost all of my posts and throughout my cookbook, my favorite brand of Gluten-Free Pasta is Jovial Brown Rice Pasta. I love the texture and taste of their Gluten-Free Pasta. But guess what??? They just launched their first Grain-Free Cassava Pasta!!! Can you believe it!? Just two simple ingredients (Organic Cassava Flour + Water) make their new cassava pasta a delicious grain-free option — plus it’s completely free of the top 8 allergens, gluten, starches and gums.
As you can see in the photo above, they carry Cassava Pasta Elbows, Fusilli, Orzo, Penne and Spaghetti! So now you can transform all of your favorite pasta dishes into grain-free versions! so fab!!
This is the most incredible news for those that need to eat a grain-free diet for personal health reasons. I personally just prefer to eat grain-free as much as possible because I feel great when I do, and I am so excited to have this pasta alternative in my pantry at all times!!
Here, I used it to make an epic Sneaky Veggie Mac and Cheese that will totally fool your veggie-hating friend or kiddos. I *did* still include cheese, but I tried it the dairy-free way (see note at the bottom of the recipe) and it is still delicious! Regardless, this is still a very nutritious dish and here is why. The sauce is made by cooking down a whole head of cauliflower + a sweet potato with some spices and seasonings until extremely fork-tender. I then blend it up with a little shredded cheddar cheese and it makes the creamiest cauliflower nacho cheese sauce. Toss the sauce over the Jovial Cassava Pasta and a little zucchini… and it will blow your mind!
I grated zucchini in ours because I find when I grate a zucchini my kids don’t mind it, and I love the added touch of green and nutrition. It’s so neutral in flavor, you barely notice it. But if you are dealing with an extremely picky eater, you can work this one in with time 😉 The sauce alone is super nutrient-dense!
So please, you’ve gotta give this recipe a try and the NEW Jovial Cassava Pasta!
Sneaky Veggie Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 [8-ounce] box of Jovial Grain Free Cassava Elbows
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 1 cup peeled and diced small sweet potato about 1 small sweet potato
- 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded *see note below for dairy-free option
- 1/2 cup Nutpods Original Dairy-Free Creamer *You can sub heavy cream here or even whole milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 medium zucchini, grated *optional
Instructions
Get the water boiling:
- Bring a large saucepan with water to a boil.
Make the Cauliflower-Cheese Sauce:
- Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets, sweet potato, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook, until sweet potato and cauliflower are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and add the cheddar cheese, Nutpods creamer and lemon juice. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Cook the Pasta:
- When the water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 tablespoon of pasta water to finish.
- Add the desired amount of cauliflower cheese sauce to the cooked pasta. (You will likely have leftover, the rest you can save and freeze to use later.) Add the reserved pasta water and grated zucchini, if using. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
