Name: Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 c dry macaroni; 2 c Horizon® Organic Shredded Cheddar Cheese; 1 c Horizon® Organic Milk; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1/2 c vegetable puree (carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash)

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This delicious hidden veggie mac and cheese recipe is part of a shop that has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonHappiness #CollectiveBias

School starts in just a couple of days. I’m not sure what happened to summer, and although we are all ready with supplies and new threads, I am not fully prepared for this school year. Thankfully we have school year dinners down to a science. It’s all about the prep work, great ingredients; like Horizon® products at Walmart, and family pleasing recipes! When possible we go back to basics during the week. No reinventing the dinner menu here, just time-tested recipes everyone loves that can be prepped ahead of time.

Hidden in the layers of noodles and cheesy goodness is vegetable puree. It’s the same mac and cheese casserole I grew up enjoying with a slight makeover. For this post I used what we had on hand, carrots. We’ve also used sweet potato and butternut squash puree that turned out just as delicious. It tastes so good with the sweetness of the carrot or sweet potato puree bringing out the sharpness of the Horizon Organic Shredded Cheese. It comes out absolutely creamy with no need to prep a cheese sauce ahead of time with the help of Horizon Organic Milk.

This casserole dish is so easy the kids can help assemble. Both my boys enjoy anytime mom asks for a little help making lunch and dinner. Recipes like this are my favorite because you can prep everything ahead of time. And because it’s filled with those hidden veggies and Horizon® products I feel good serving up this kid favorite meal. It’s even tastier as leftovers and served up for school lunches the next day.

You’ll simply need to gather your ingredients and prep the veggies for pureeing and cook the noodles.

Next you’ll start layering the ingredients in an oil coated baking dish. Layer macaroni mixed with vegetable puree on the bottom of the dish.

Top with a sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper.

Next add a layer of shredded cheddar. Repeat the layers one more time.

Finally, drizzle with milk, and bake until bubbly with a crisp and golden top.

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

Kelly @eclecticmommy

Surprise the whole family with a delicious Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese dish. It's packed with tasty veggie puree and Horizon® Organic milk and cheese.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course casserole

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 c dry macaroni
2 c Horizon® Organic Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 c Horizon® Organic Milk
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 c vegetable puree carrot, sweet potato, or butternut squash

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While the water boils for the macaroni, prepare the vegetable puree. Bake or steam vegetable of choice until tender. A fork should pierce the flesh and slide out easily.
Once the veggies are cooked, puree in a food processor with fresh water until smooth.
Cook macaroni until al dente, do not overcook. Drain and set aside in a small bowl.
Coat the bottom of a medium baking dish with oil. Place a layer of macaroni mixed with vegetable puree on the bottom of the dish, just enough to cover.
Sprinkle with a little black pepper before covering with shredded cheddar. Add another layer of noodles, puree, pepper, then cheese.
Finish by drizzling milk over everything. Bake at 400 until bubbly and the top just starts to brown and crisp, about 40 minutes.

Notes

Prepare vegetable puree ahead in batches. Freeze in 1/4-1/2 cup portions for recipes all month long.

Cook an entire box of dry macaroni, then freeze the remaining portions for meals later in the month.

Layer and prep the casserole the night before minus the milk step. Then when it's dinner time simply top with milk and bake according to the directions.

You can find Horizon® products at Walmart in the dairy case and refrigerated section. They have a whole line of products to help you pack lunches, serve up breakfast, and cook up dinners the whole family will enjoy. Horizon® organic milk is a great choice for your family as it comes from cows raised on farms that follow sustainable organic practices. These cows are never treated with antibiotics or given hormones. Horizon Organic Shredded Cheese comes in several varieties for all your mealtime needs: Shredded Cheddar, Mexican Blend, Monterey Jack and Mozzarella. Great products for dinner, lunch, and breakfast! Get ready for mealtime success with the help of Horizon® products and other delicious recipes here.