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Home » Main Dish » Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
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Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

By Rachael | Updated on January 29, 2019

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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.

hidden-veggie-mac-and-cheese-HERO

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!

hidden-veggie-mac-and-cheese

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:

Mac-and-Cheese

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!

Annies-Mac-and-Cheese-box

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.

Veggies-for-Mac-and-Cheese

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!

mac-and-cheese-horizontal

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?

Don’t forget to pin for later:

Hidden-veggie-mac-PIN

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Related

Related categories:
Main Dish UncategorizedAnnie's Organic Mac and Cheese hidden veggie mac and cheese noodles Organic Mac and Cheese pasta

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robin Masshole Mommy says

    March 24, 2016 at 10:06 am

    What a great idea. My kids would absolutely love this.
    Reply
  2. Jeanette says

    March 24, 2016 at 10:19 am

    This looks very good. My son is not overly picky but I bet he would like this even if you like sweet potatoes and carrots on their own. I bet this gives it some great flavor.
    Reply
  3. Pam says

    March 24, 2016 at 10:44 am

    This sounds like a great way to get kids to eat veggies if they're picky! What kid doesn't like Mac and cheese?
    Reply
  4. Melissa Lawler says

    March 24, 2016 at 10:53 am

    I did the same thing with hamburgers and meatloaf when my kids were little. It's so easy to hide the all important vegetables!
    Reply
  5. Heather @ Kraus House Mom says

    March 24, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    I love adding things to macaroni and cheese. My favorite thing to add is cooked ground beef. It's like a cheesy chop suey.
    Reply
  6. Jeni Hawkins says

    March 24, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    This is so smart! You could probably hide a lot of veggies in cheese products and meals. My mom's trick was giving us ketchup to dip our icky veggies in.
    Reply
  7. Danielle says

    March 24, 2016 at 4:01 pm

    I'm totally going to try this. My 4 y/o is a picky eater and macaroni and cheese is a favorite of his. I bet he wouldn't even know the difference.
    Reply
  8. Vera Sweeney says

    March 24, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    I love this idea!! My kids are not really vegetable lovers so this is the perfect way to get them to eat more veggies.
    Reply
  9. Marcie W. says

    March 24, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    My 3 year old nephew is the pickiest eater ever! Usually my sister adds vegetables to smoothies, but this mac and cheese would be another great idea.
    Reply
  10. Dawn Lopez says

    March 24, 2016 at 7:55 pm

    Hidden veggies are a brilliant idea! I think I could use the recipe for myself honestly. I never seem to get enough servings in a day.
    Reply
  11. Sabrina says

    March 25, 2016 at 2:06 am

    My kids love mac and cheese! This would be the perfect way to get them to eat their veggies!
    Reply
  12. Crystal says

    March 25, 2016 at 8:18 am

    My youngest still is going through a phase, and veggies are just not happening. This sounds like just the thing to sneak some nutrients in.
    Reply
  13. Ann Bacciaglia says

    March 25, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    This is a delicious looking Mac and Cheese recipe. I will have to give it a try this weekend. My kids are going to love it.
    Reply
  14. gingermommyrants says

    March 25, 2016 at 1:34 pm

    This recipe looks so delicious and easy to make. I love that it is a healthy version. I can not wait to try it.
    Reply
  15. florentina says

    March 27, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    How delicious and how clever to get those veggies in little bellies. Love it !
    Reply
  16. Emily Knight (@OurKnightLife) says

    March 28, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    That is a grate (get it!!) idea! My boys love veggies so I usually add peas or broccoli to our mac & cheese meals. Carrots be fun for sure!
    Reply
    • Rachael says

      April 1, 2016 at 10:25 am

      Thank you! Hahaha and great play on words.
      Reply
  17. Tracy says

    September 26, 2016 at 2:23 pm

    This is amazing! Made this tonight for 4 year old who only wants to eat pasta and it was a success! Makes me feel so much better that he's getting some veggies! Thank you!
    Reply
    • Rachael says

      September 26, 2016 at 10:29 pm

      I am so glad to hear it! Thank you for taking the time to share.
      Reply

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