Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese with Winter Veggies

We gave the traditional Mac ‘n Cheese a little makeover by adding some seasonal vegetables and goat cheese.  You could use other vegetables, whatever’s in season.  Serve with a salad…see “today’s salad.”

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked pasta
• 12 brussels sprouts
• 1 cup potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup winter squash, chopped in small pieces
• ½ onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp butter (more if needed)
• 1 ½ cups milk
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. goat cheese  (cheap at the Grocery Outlet)
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or oregano, one or the other)
• 2 heaping Tbsp chopped parsley
• ½ Tbsp caraway
• Salt and pepper

Cook and drain pasta noodles of choice.  Put Brussels sprouts, chopped potatoes, and winter squash chunks into a veggie steamer all together.  I steamed the squash in larger chunks and then chopped and peeled it once it was soft.  I cut the Brussels sprouts into quarters after they were also soft.  Mix all the vegetables with the pasta in a casserole dish with a lid.  Grate cheddar and chunk up goat cheese, and mix in with pasta.   Reserve ¼ cup cheddar to put into sauce.

On the stove, melt 2 Tbsp butter in your skillet over low heat.  (You can do this in your cast iron, but might be a little easier in a stainless steel skillet.)  Add flour and whisk together with the butter over low heat.  If the flour is burning or sticking to the skillet too much, you can add a little more butter.  Add onions, milk, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir patiently until it begins to thicken.  When it begins to thicken, stir in ¼ cup grated cheddar.  Pour entire mixture over the pasta and veggies, stir together, cover and bake at 350 for half an hour or until all cheesy and bubbly.