Our family calls this mac n cheese “Decadent Mac n Cheese” because it truly is decadent. Three types of cheeses, lots of butter, pasta, buttered white bread, all in a creamy sauce. It is rich, cheesy and decadent. 

A mac n cheese recipe created over two decades ago

No matter how delicious this mac and cheese was, in my opinion it needed color, it just looked kinda boring. You see, I am used to eating foods with color and plenty of it. This is where the vegetarian in me came out – and almost two decades ago I decided to add little bits of tiny veggie pieces to my mac n cheese to jazz it up a bit. Just enough to add little specs of color and tons of flavor.

My objective was to add the veggies subtly – because lets face it, we want mac and cheese, not a veggie pasta. And decades ago, adding veggies to classic dishes was a big no-no; vegetarianism was still a foreign concept and not welcomed, and the concept of fusion cuisine didn’t exist.  So the veggies I added had to be “not too obvious.”

Pasta colored white cauliflower and garlic, paprika colored peppers and onions

The veggies I added were finely diced cauliflower, sweet bell peppers, red onions, and a dash of garlic. This combination of veggies taste amazing in mac and cheese and you will be surprised at how much flavor they add too. Added bonus is that cauliflower and garlic just blend into the pasta and the tiny diced peppers and onions add just a hint of color.

When you add these finely cut veggies to a mac n cheese that’s already loaded with cheddar cheese, Parmesan, Gruyere, butter, bread and pasta – you get a decadent mac n cheese that’s over the top delicious!

How to make my decadent mac n cheese

Okay the ingredients list is long and the process may seem complicated but it’s really very easy!

1. Cook the elbow pasta and set aside.
2. Make the veggie pasta. In a large pot warm 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic until they are tender then add the cauliflower and pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes. To the veggies add the cooked pasta, salt to taste and black pepper and stir together.
3. Next make the cheese sauce: Melt 3 tbsp butter and then add 2 tbsp flour and whisk until blended. Add 4 cups milk and stir until creamy and the milk is bubbling at the corners of the pan. Then add all the cheese and melt into the sauce. Flavor with nutmeg, paprika and black pepper. Pour this sauce into the veggie pasta.
4. Lastly, chop up some white bread and toast them on the stovetop with 2-tbsp butter. Add this to the mac n cheese.
5. Pour the mac n cheese into a baking dish and bake until bubbling on the edges and golden on top. That’s how easy it is!! Give it a try!

Decadent Mac n Cheese

Ingredients:

1lb elbow macaroni pasta cooked according to package directions
2 cups finely cut cauliflower
1 bell pepper finely cut (about 1- 1/2 heaping cup)
1 onion finely chopped (about 1 cup or more )
6 cloves garlic minced
2 cups Gruyere cheese
2 cups white cheddar cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp butter
1 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp flour
4 cups milk
2-3 slices of white bread cut into small cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Cook the elbow pasta and set aside.

Make the veggie pasta. In a large pot warm 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic until they are tender then add the cauliflower and pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. To the veggies add the cooked pasta, salt to taste and black pepper and stir together. Set aside.

Next make the cheese sauce: Melt 3 tbsp butter and then add 2 tbsp all purpose flour and whisk in the butter until smooth and the lumps are gone. Add 4 cups milk and stir until creamy and the milk is bubbling at the corners of the pan. Then add all the cheese and melt into the sauce. Flavor with nutmeg, paprika and black pepper. Pour this sauce into the veggie pasta.

Lastly, chop up some white bread and toast them on the stovetop with 2-tbsp butter. Add this to the mac n cheese. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.

Pour the mac n cheese into a 9×12 size baking dish and cover with foil wrap. Bake until bubbling on the edges and golden on top. After 30-45 minutes mac n cheese is ready.

Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a side of salad or roasted vegetables.

Happy Eating!