Description
this version of mac and cheese provides plenty of protein and fiber per bite making it a great meal to serve the whole family
Ingredients
Scale
For the pasta:
- 1 8 oz box whole grain penne or ziti
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1lb. bag of frozen broccoli florets
For the topping:
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or earth balance, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup plain greek or skyr yogurt
For the sauce:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter or earth balance
- 1/3 cup white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk of choice, warmed
- 2 cups shredded gruyere
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
Instructions
For the pasta:
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and pasta to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes (you want it to be al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven when the whole dish is baked).
- While pasta cooks, steam or boil broccoli to your liking, then drain and set aside.
- Once pasta is finished, drain and return to the pot and add remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Stir to combine then set aside.
For the topping:
- To a bowl add panko, butter or earth balance and salt. Stir to combine (I just used my hands) and set aside.
- Greek yogurt will be used later so no need to do anything with that now.
For the sauce:
- Add butter to a large sauce pan over medium heat and once it has mostly melted, add flour and stir consistently for about 1 minute until a dough forms.
- Add 1 cup of the warmed milk and whisk until there are no longer any clumps then add remaining milk and whisk for another minute or two.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard to the mixture and whisk consistently for 5-8 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken. When you dip a wooden spoon into the mixture, you should be able to swipe it away with your finger and the line your finger made should hold.
For the whole dish:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
- Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and add cheeses, stirring to combine. Then add sauce to the large pot with the pasta and stir to coat.
- Gently fold in the broccoli and pour the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top with panko mixture.
- Dollop spoonfuls of the yogurt over the top, gently pressing down to incorporate.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Notes
Recipe from Recipe Tin Eats with a few tweaks
Keywords: mac and cheese, vegetarian, dinner