Mac n Cheese Muffins
by Amanda Keefer
Does your family love trying new mac and cheese recipes? Then these Mac n Cheese Muffins are for you! These fun little muffin cups are a healthy spin on a kid (and adult) favorite. Since they’re fun to eat and packed with flavor, kids won’t even know they’re filled with veggies! Pasta with melty cheese, blended vegetables, and a nice crumbly crisp topping make this a new and tasty spin on a classic dish.
My kids love fruit but sometimes having them eat all the vegetables that they need can be difficult. So I wanted to create a hidden veggie recipe that they would love. These Mac N Cheese Muffins turned out super tasty and are packed with carrots and broccoli! The kids couldn’t tell and the mac and cheese had a great texture and all the flavors of mac and cheese that we love. This recipe can be made ahead and packed in lunchboxes and reheated. So pack up your favorite sides to create a complete and filling meal!
Have picky eaters? Make sure to check out our Picky Eating: What’s Normal & What’s Not post!
Key ingredients for these Mac N Cheese Muffins
Carrots– The kids do love snacking on carrots so I knew I would be able to blend them in without a problem. Carrots are sweet and loaded with Vitamin A and C, and are great for your vision health, too!
Broccoli– I love broccoli and wanted to toss them in this recipe. This green power food is high in Fiber, Vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Broccoli is known to be great for your heart health, boosting your immunity, and can help reduced inflammation in the body.
Whole Wheat Macaroni– You can use what pasta you have at the house but we try to cook and bake with whole wheat when we can. Whole wheat noodles are very interchangeable in recipes, more filling, and have more nutritional value that regular white pasta.
How to Make these veggie Mac N Cheese Muffins
For this recipe, we start by placing the onions, carrots, and broccoli in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Next mix the cheddar, mozzarella, egg, butter and olive oil in large bowl. Then add the cooked macaroni, blended vegetables, and ½ cup of the bread crumbs.
Stir until just incorporated. Then spoon the pasta mixture evenly into a greased muffin pan. Sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs on top and bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
What other veggies could I sneak in this recipe?
We went with just carrots and broccoli. But peas, zucchini, or a bag of frozen vegetables would work, too!
Would this recipe freeze well?
Yes you could wrap these muffins individually and place in a freezer safe container or Zip-lock bag for easy grab and go meals!
Nutrition Tip: Calcium and phosphorus in cheese work together to strengthen bones, muscles, and support heart health.
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Mac n Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 sweet onion
- 1 cup baby cut carrots
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup shredded lowfat Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 14.5 oz. box whole wheat macaroni noodles, cooked according to package
- 1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Puree onion, carrots and broccoli in food processor or blender until smooth.
- Mix cheddar, mozzarella, egg, butter and olive oil in large bowl. Add cooked macaroni, vegetables and ½ cup bread crumbs. Stir until just incorporated.
- Spoon mixture evenly into greased muffin pan. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs on top and bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Serve with Fruit Naturals®
