Whoever decided a warm, creamy bowl of mac ‘n cheese should be reserved strictly for the kid’s menu is seriously so wrong. Aside from the immeasurable deliciousness in every bite, that cheesy pasta you’re craving is also packed with calcium, protein, and Vitamin B. You can even make a relatively healthy meal out of a box of the stuff, if you choose the right brand and mix in nutritionally-packed ingredients.
The fundamentals of a mac ‘n cheese dinner should always involve a protein, vegetables, and a high quality box of macaroni and cheese. We love Annie’s pastas, which are available in gluten free, whole grain, and vegan varieties. Every box is free of artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and preservatives, and the real cheese comes from cows that are not treated with the commonly used growth hormone, rBST. We won’t name names, but we’d never touch that neon yellow mac ‘n cheese if you paid us.
For those nights when you don’t have an ounce of motivation to cook and need comfort food ASAP, try out this simple, foodie-approved mac ‘n cheese recipe. We served our bowls with a side salad to convince ourselves we’d officially balanced out the major carb overload.
Smoked Mozzarella Veggie Mac
Ingredients
1 box Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar
¼ cup unsweetened original almond milk
2 tbsp ghee
⅓ cup smoked mozzarella, diced
1 zucchini, sliced
1 heirloom tomato, diced
Pine nuts to garnish (optional)
Red chili flakes to garnish (optional)
Directions
- Prepare mac ‘n cheese as directed by package, using ghee and unsweetened original almond milk in place of butter and milk.
- Blanch or steam zucchini for five minutes.
- Slowly stir in smoked mozzarella in pieces until melted into pasta.
- Mix in zucchini and tomato; cover and simmer for five minutes.
- Serve, topping with pine nuts and red chili flakes to your liking.
- ENJOY!
