Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

This post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. #DiscoverAnnies

Creamy mac and cheese, with a veggie loaded sauce that will have your family begging for more. This really is such an easy recipe, and it is full of yummy veggies, while still giving the appearance of the classic favorite–mac and cheese! It is the perfect dinner for the whole family. I left those extra veggies a little chunky so you can see they are really truly in there! But feel free to process more to make them more hidden.

I do not know about you guys, but I love Mac and Cheese! It is just one of those throw back foods I will never grow out of. I grew up enjoying it, and still do to this day. And even though I know how to make a gourmet, multi-cheese, grown up version, from scratch, I time and again go back to the box. It is convenient and delicious, and you can get Annie’s organic Mac and Cheese so it is a healthier version that still has all the childhood whimsy I love!

When I was young, we always added frozen petite peas to our mac and cheese. When I married my husband he turned up his nose at this. He thought I was crazy. But I still do it. I love the pop of color, the added flavor, and the increased health. I was chatting with a friend, and she told me she adds applesauce to her mac and cheese. I had to laugh. Another friend said she cuts up hot dogs. And someone else said they always eat it with chili. Another person scrambles eggs and mixes them in. Honestly, what other food is there that you can eat with green peas, apple sauce, hot dogs, scrambled eggs, and chili? Hahahah I can’t think of anything! This really cracked me up. Obviously I am easily entertained. But that made me want to try a few things out, and see for myself what else would be good with Annie’s Mac and Cheese!  And so the experimentations began. And I have to ask:

So now I want to share the version that I used to make constantly for my picky eater son who wouldn’t eat anything that even resembles a vegetable. The hidden veggie mac and cheese. It is easy peasy to make, perfect with Annie’s Organic Macaroni and Cheese, and oh so tasty!

You will love it. The key is to process or blend the carrots and sweet potatoes down so much that they mix well with the cheese sauce. I purposely left them only partially processed so you would be able to see, and believe how well they match that classic mac and cheese color!  So, another thing to know is the flavor will change. Carrots and sweet potatoes are sweet. You can add extra sharp cheddar to offset this if you want. I choose not to do so. Why? Because it looks just like traditional Macaroni and Cheese, even my pickiest eater will take that first bite. And since it is yummy, they keep on eating it! Hopefully your picky eaters feel the same way.

I love Annie’s Mac and Cheese, and love I can pick it up at Sam’s Club in a big package with 12 boxes so you can always have some on hand. We love playing with it, adding to it, and making it for meals and snacks alike. I love adding avocado pesto into the Shells and White Cheddar one. Yummy! There are just so many fun ways to enjoy Annie’s Organic Macaroni and Cheese! So no matter your style, I hope you will consider this hidden veggies option!

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

Creamy mac and cheese, with a veggie loaded sauce that will have your family begging for more. This really is such an easy recipe, and it is full of yummy veggies, while still giving the appearance of the classic favorite--mac and cheese!

4 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hidden veggies, kid friendly, macaroni and cheese

Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes

Total Time: 19 minutes minutes

Calories: 1881kcal

Author: Rachael

Ingredients

• 2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese "Annie's Organic"
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 cup sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 pinch salt
• Water to boil noodles according to package directions

Instructions

• In a medium sized pot, add chicken stock, sweet potatoes, and baby carrots, and cook for 10-15 minutes until soft (almost mushy). Be sure to watch the liquid levels, and add additional liquid if necessary.
• Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to box directions, strain, and set aside.
• In a food processor or blender, process cooked veggies until the consistency of baby food. Add milk while processing to help it get smooth. Should be slightly runny.
• Add in cheese packets from Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese, and stir well, add additional milk to achieve desired consistency if necessary
• Stir in noodles, and enjoy!

Notes

I love adding extras like bacon bits, basil, and peas. But customize to your preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 1881kcal | Carbohydrates: 258g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 4024mg | Potassium: 2420mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 37115IU | Vitamin C: 6.5mg | Calcium: 1100mg | Iron: 11.2mg

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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What is your favorite thing to add to Annie’s Organic Mac and Cheese?

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