Tag: Macaroni

Cauliflower & Broccoli Macaroni Bites

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When cauliflower cheese and macaroni cheese collide.

I made this recipe for child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed. She loved the idea of these muffins for baby led weaning. For more information on this topic head to her website.

Makes approximately 15 muffins

Ingredients

  • 180g macaroni – I have used a high fibre variety
  • 150g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 150g cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 40g butter
  • 45g plain flour
  • 600ml milk*
  • 1 tsp English mustard (optional)
  • 120g reduced fat cheddar cheese*, grated
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1 egg
  • Oil for greasing OR muffin cases

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/ 200°C convection
  • Bring a large pan of water to boil. Cook the macaroni according to packet instructions, and steam the cauliflower and broccoli over the top of the pasta as it cooks.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour.
  • Slowly add in the milk a quarter at a time, stirring to prevent any lumps.
  • Option to add 1 teaspoon of English mustard.
  • Add half the grated cheese to the mix and allow to melt. Season with pepper to taste
  • Once the pasta is cooked, drain and stir into the sauce with the cauliflower and broccoli.
  • Add the egg and mix.
  • Line a muffin tray with cases, or lightly grease a non-stick tray. Fill each hole with mixture (2-3 spoonful’s).
  • Top with the reaming half of cheese.
  • Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes till golden brown.
  • Allow to cool completely in trays before removing unless in muffin cases, in which case you can remove after 5 minutes.

Suitable for freezing as easy grab and go options. Can be served cold, microwaved or oven heated.

*For children aged 2 and under use full fat dairy products including cheeses.

If you need an egg-free option you can omit the egg, but you will need to completely cool the bites in the tray and the chill them in the fridge before removing them so they can set in shape.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, you can make standard macaroni cheese by leaving the egg out and placing the mixture in an ovenproof dish. Simply top with the remaining half of cheese and bake in an oven set to 180°C fan for 25 minutes till golden brown and bubbling. You could also prep this dish ahead of time, pop it in the fridge and then bake for an easy mid-week meal for the family.

Per bite: 126kcal/ 5.2g fat/ 3.1g saturated fat/ 12.7g carbohydrates/ 2.2g fibre/ 6.2g protein

Spinach Macaroni

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I have lovely fond memories of walking into Godalming high street and lunching with friends in the local vegetarian and yoga café.

This gorgeous café, Café Mila, inspired this dish. Here I have had countless macaroni cheese dishes after walking several miles to get there, all as part of a team challenge to accumulate the highest number of steps.

I always remember the dish coming out, golden brown bubbling cheese covering macaroni with swirls of spinach. This dish is worth the trek! I do love my macaroni cheese, so sometimes I make my own “lighter” version by using reduced-fat cheddar cheese to help keep the total saturated fat under some control. However, if you don’t eat this all the time, and I don’t, using standard fat cheddar is completely fine. In addition, using mature or extra mature cheddar gives a stronger cheese flavour which can help you keep the quantity of cheese used overall lower.

This dish is perfect to make at the weekend when you have time, and then store in the fridge for a quick and easy meal later in the week. Alternatively, why not try making a larger batch and popping one in the freezer. Cooling cooked pasta has been shown to help further increase the fibre content through the formation of resistant starch, adding other benefits to this dish!

Another great way to increase the fibre content of this dish is to use high fibre pasta. This could either be using wholemeal pasta, where the whole grain is used or alternatively, there are now ranges of high fibre pastas. These are where fibre, such as oat, are added to the pasta before it is shaped. Adding extra fibre to your diet in this way is a really easy method for increasing your fibre intake without much effort. On average UK people eat only an average of 18g fibre per day, and the target is 30g fibre per day. This dish contains 5.7g fibre, but a simple swap to fibre enriched pasta could boost the fibre up to 12g per portion!

Serves 2

Recipe 

  • 15g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 360ml semi-skimmed milk
  • ½ tsp English mustard
  • 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated
  • 150g dried pasta
  • 140g spinach

Method 

  • Set the oven to 180°C fan/190°C convection.
  • Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute before adding the milk a little at a time, stirring constantly till thick. Add the mustard and half the cheddar cheese and season with pepper to taste.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, add the spinach into the cheese sauce and mix, followed by the drained pasta.
  • Pour everything into an ovenproof dish and top with the remaining cheese and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes till the top is golden brown and bubbling.
Spinach Macaroni Cheese

Per serving: 711kcal/ 28.9g fat/ 17.4g saturated fat/ 78.6g carbohydrates/ 5.7g fibre/ 31.7g protein