Feel free to ask me whatever you want, but PLEASE don’t ever ask me to give up my mac & cheese. If I recall, my love of “mac & cheese” started when I was about eight or nine years old. On evenings that my parents would have a night to themselves, my mother would prepare this classic in a big stock pot with some shredded cheddar and Velveeta. (No laughing please) As you can imagine it was so amazing!! Creamy and smooth with a tangy, cheesy bite…..ahhhhhhh. Well, since then I have tried pretty much all the variations you can think of. YES….the boxed kind is still just as delicious as it always was (especially when I was pregnant!) However, we all know that there really is NOTHING like homemade Mac & Cheese, which is perfect for me because, I adore trying it all. I wanted to create something festive and fun yet healthy and nutritious too. With a huge bunch of gorgeous carrots from the farm I thought why not just shred them up and those babies right in there. After all, they are orange and were just the perfect addition to my dish. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about the texture but because I grated it so finely this was not a problem at all. As a matter we all could barely even taste the carrots except for a little added sweetness.
Carrot Mac & Cheese Cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon creamy Dijon mustard (Don’t pass up the Grey Poupon for this one; it is perfect.)
- Pinch of salt
- 6 cups whole-grain rigatoni pasta (I like a noodle with creases to hold the sauce)
- 2 cups finely grated carrots
- Ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 cup Monterrey Jack Cheese (shredded)
*If you want a lighter flavor, substitute a mild cheddar, Swiss, Munster, or any other cheese that temps you.
Directions
1.) Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray small ramekins or a muffin tin.
2.) In a large pot or dutch oven, cook pasta according to directions and get all ingredients ready. (Add salt to the pasta water as this is the only time you have to season the noodles.)
3.) While the pasta is cooking, take a small bowl or measuring cup mix together nonfat yogurt, mustard and ground pepper.
4.) Drain pasta when complete and immediate pour back into pot. Turn to low heat and add butter.
5.) Stir in cheese and carrots. Add in yogurt mixture and combine well.
6.) Spoon noodles evenly into cupcake tins scraping every last drop.
7.) Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each one and bake for 12-15 minutes until just starting to brown. (The edges should be a golden color so they hold together)
8.) Garnish with some chives and bountiful carrots on the side. Enjoy!
*This dish may be assembled ahead of time…simply cover and refrigerate. Either bring to room temperature before baking or add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
By: Nic at www.nibblesbynic.com
Thanks for sharing one of your yummy recipes, Nic!
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Do you know if these would freeze well after cooking? I’m looking for easy lunch ideas for my toddler on days she has preschool..
I love the addition of the carrots. These look irresistible. It would be hard to just have one! 🙂