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Veggie Mac And Cheese

Veggie mac and cheese made with creamy cheddar–Gruyere sauce and tender blanched broccoli, peas, roasted red peppers, and spinach. Baked until bubbly with a golden panko-parmesan crust for a thick, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

elbow pasta or shells
  • 1 lb elbow pasta or shells
broccoli florets
  • 2 cup broccoli florets blanched
frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
roasted red peppers
  • 1 cup roasted red peppers diced
baby spinach
  • 1 cup baby spinach
sharp cheddar
  • 3 cup sharp cheddar shredded
Gruyere
  • 1 cup Gruyere shredded
whole milk
  • 2 cup whole milk
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
unsalted butter
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
panko topping
  • 1 cup panko
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 0.25 cup parmesan
salt and pepper
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and cook the pasta
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 dish so the bake won’t stick.
  2. Cook the elbow pasta or shells until tender, then drain well and keep it ready for mixing.
Make the cheese sauce
  1. In a Dutch oven, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat until foamy.
  2. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the roux smells lightly toasted.
  3. Gradually add the whole milk and heavy cream while whisking, then simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  4. Remove from heat briefly, then stir in the sharp cheddar and Gruyere until fully melted and smooth.
  5. Stir in the Dijon mustard and smoked paprika until evenly distributed, creating a bold, orange-gold cheese sauce.
Assemble and bake
  1. Fold the cooked pasta, blanched broccoli florets, frozen peas, roasted red peppers, and baby spinach into the cheese sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Transfer the mixture to the greased 9x13 dish, then mix the panko topping and scatter it evenly over the top.
  3. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375F until golden on top and bubbling at the edges with a visible crust.

Notes

For the smoothest sauce, whisk the milk and cream in gradually and simmer until thick before adding the cheeses. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3-4 days; reheat in a 350F oven until hot. This dish does freeze well (up to 2 months), though the texture can soften slightly after thawing. For a lighter option, substitute half the heavy cream with additional whole milk and use part-skim cheeses.