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What Great Grandma Ate / Recipes / Egg Free / Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese (Kid-Friendly)

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese (Kid-Friendly)

Last Updated on August 29, 2022 by Jean Choi 25 Comments

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Super easy hidden veggie mac and cheese for toddlers, kids, and picky eaters, with cauliflower and sweet potatoes. You can’t taste the veggies at all, and it turns out so creamy and wonderful!

hidden veggie mac and cheese stirred in a pot

I’m always trying to find ways to sneak in more veggies in for my toddler (like these chicken nuggets). She has her days when she’s quite picky, so I try to find ways to get more nutrients in her any way I can. Mac and cheese is probably her favorite thing to eat lately, so I thought it was a great idea to make it for her with blended vegetables. After experimenting a few times, I finally created a sauce that she loves AND you can’t taste the veggies at all!

Watch a Short Video of This Recipe

Kid-Friendly Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese

In this hidden veggie mac and cheese, both cauliflower and sweet potatoes are steamed until fork tender before blended together into a mixture with a creamy texture. This is then combined with the traditional cheese sauce, and it mixes in so well that you really can’t detect that there are any healthy vegetables in it. I used gluten free chickpea pasta so I can pack in more protein, and it turned out so creamy and comforting!

steamed cauliflower and sweet potatoes in a blender with milk
blended cauliflower and sweet potatoes

Healthy Mac and Cheese Ingredients

The ingredients for this easy stovetop mac and cheese is simple, and can be interchanged easily depending on what you have. Also – if you have an egg allergy at home, this recipe is made without eggs.

  • short pasta: I recommend short pasta like elbow, macaroni, or shell. I use gluten free chickpea pasta to pack in more protein and to share with her, since I’m mostly gluten free.
  • cauliflower
  • sweet potatoes
  • milk: Either dairy or dairy free milk will work, but I recommend using full-fat milk. I used coconut milk.
  • ghee or butter: I personally use ghee regularly, because I love the strong buttery flavor. However, butter will work just fine!
  • arrowroot starch: You can substitute with regular flour.
  • extra sharp cheddar cheese: Because the sauce is mixed with blended veggies, I recommend using extra sharp cheddar. The stronger flavor of the cheese helps mask the taste of the veggies better.
  • garlic powder
  • dijon mustard
  • sea salt
  • ground black pepper
adding cooked pasta to mac and cheese sauce

How To Make Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese For Toddlers & Kids

  1. Cook your pasta noodles according to package instructions, but slightly al dente. Drain and set aside without rinsing.
  2. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and add 1½ cups water. Add cauliflower and sweet potato cubes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes until fork tender.
  3. Transfer the steamed veggies to a blender with milk. Blend until smooth.
  4. Heat a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Add ghee and arrowroot starch, and whisk until a roux is formed. Add 3/4 cup of milk and whisk continuously until boiling.
  5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and stir in cheese, veggie puree, and spices. Stir until the cheese is melted.
  6. Remove from heat. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Taste to add more salt, if needed.
  7. Serve, or you can transfer to a baking dish and broil for 5 minutes to get it browned on top.
picking up kid friendly mac and cheese with wooden spooon

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use other types of cheese?

Cheddar is the classic cheese used in mac and cheese. I like to use extra sharp cheddar for this kid-friendly mac and cheese to hide the flavor of veggies better. However, regular cheese will work just fine. You can also experiment with other types that melt well like cream cheese, gouda, goat, or even parmesan for a variety of flavors.

What other vegetables can I use?

You can experiment with different types of vegetables. I do recommend sticking with veggies that blend well when steamed, like carrots, rutabaga, butternut squash, or even zucchini.

How long will the leftovers keep?

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, leftover mac and cheese will last for 4-5 days. I just heat it back up in the microwave, but you can do it on the stovetop too. You can also freeze it for up to 2-3 months!

healthy mac and cheese served in a bowl

Other Hidden Veggie Kid-Friendly Recipes

  • Hidden Veggie Chicken Nuggets (Baked, Air Fried, or Pan Fried)
  • Healthy Homemade Popsicles for Toddlers
  • Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread (Paleo, Dairy Free)
  • Raw Zucchini Hummus with Avocado
  • The BEST Gluten Free Cornbread (No Flour)
hidden veggie mac and cheese

Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese (Kid-Friendly)

Super easy hidden veggie mac and cheese for toddlers and kids with cauliflower and sweet potatoes. You can't taste the veggies at all, and it turns out so creamy and wonderful!
4.75 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free mac and cheese, healthy mac and cheese for kids, hidden veggie recipes, kid friendly mac and cheese, kid friendly recipe, kid friendly recipes, mac and cheese without eggs, toddler recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 large servings
Calories: 516kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz short pasta elbow, macaroni, shell – I used these for gluten free
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets about ½ head cauliflower
  • 1 cup cubed sweet potatoes about ½ inches, peeled
  • 1¼ cups full-fat milk dairy or dairy free, divided – I used coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp ghee or butter
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or flour
  • 1½ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp sea salt or more to taste
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions, but slightly al dente. Drain and set aside without rinsing.
  • Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and add 1½ cups water. Add cauliflower florets and sweet potato cubes to the basket. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer then cook for 8-10 minutes until fork tender.
  • Transfer the steamed cauliflower and sweet potatoes to a blender with 1/2 cup milk. Blend until smooth.
  • Heat a large pot over medium heat on the stovetop. Add ghee and arrowroot starch, and whisk until a roux is formed. Add 3/4 cup of milk and whisk continuously until it starts to boil.
  • Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and stir in cheese, veggie puree, garlic powder, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Keep stirring until the cheese is melted.
  • Remove from heat, and add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Taste to add more salt, if needed.
  • Serve, or you can transfer to a baking dish and broil for 5 minutes to get it browned on top.
Nutrition Facts
Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese (Kid-Friendly)
Amount Per Serving (1 serving – makes 4)
Calories 516 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 64mg21%
Sodium 602mg26%
Potassium 538mg15%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 5196IU104%
Vitamin C 25mg30%
Calcium 379mg38%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Video

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By Jean Choi | August 29, 2022

Comments

  1. kanitha says

    September 11, 2022 at 8:40 pm

    So creamy and yummy!

    Reply
  2. Kimberly says

    September 12, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    So cool!!! Where does all the protein come from in this dish? I saw on the nutrition label you posted it has 20g per serving! So exciting! Can I also substitute some other tour of flour? I don’t have arrowroot but I have almond and coconut flour

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 15, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      I used chickpea pasta to up the protein! And if you don’t have arrowroot, you can use tapioca starch or even cornstarch. You can probably use coconut flour but I would reduce the amount to half.

      Reply
  3. Kate says

    September 13, 2022 at 10:23 am

    5 stars
    My lids love it. Even my pick son 😁

    Reply
    • Kate says

      September 13, 2022 at 10:24 am

      I mean my kids 😂😂

      Reply
      • Jean Choi says

        September 15, 2022 at 3:03 pm

        Thank you so much!! 😂

        Reply
  4. Carol says

    September 15, 2022 at 11:07 am

    What kind of coconut milk did you use? The refrigerated one? Or canned?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 15, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      The canned version! It’s creamier so it makes for a better base for this sauce.

      Reply
      • Rida says

        September 22, 2022 at 5:56 am

        4 stars
        Coconut milk, unsweetened??

        Reply
        • Jean Choi says

          September 22, 2022 at 8:23 pm

          Yes! From a can.

          Reply
  5. Tanja says

    September 16, 2022 at 1:31 pm

    Can i freeze the sauce? 🙂

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 22, 2022 at 8:26 pm

      Yes! It’ll freeze well.

      Reply
  6. Sara says

    September 17, 2022 at 12:31 pm

    Now to make
    This completely dairy free…suggestions?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 24, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      5 stars
      You can try this recipe without all the extra toppings: https://whatgreatgrandmaate.com/bacon-jalapeno-mac-and-cheese/

      Reply
  7. Courtney says

    September 17, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    Made this tonight and it was excellent! Our baby is still too little to eat food, but my husband and I have enjoyed testing out “toddler friendly” meals for when the time comes, lol. We’ve tried a few other hidden veggie mac n cheese recipes that my husband has graciously choked down 😂 After dinner he asked if we could have this again tomorrow night. I’d call that a win!

    I’m really big on meal prepping to make life as easy as possible. Do you think making a big batch of this sauce and freezing individual portions to add to pasta later would work?

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 22, 2022 at 8:25 pm

      Thank you so much!! And yes, you can definitely freeze this in individual portions.

      Reply
  8. Meaghan Pollock says

    September 21, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! We made a standard roux with whole milk, butter, and flour but otherwise didn’t change a thing. This was so creamy and delicious and my 1.5 year old son, who isn’t a huge veggie lover, ate two bowls and even asked for more!

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      September 22, 2022 at 8:23 pm

      Ah that’s amazing!! Love hearing that!

      Reply
  9. Mz says

    October 6, 2022 at 5:17 pm

    4 stars
    I loved it. My teenage daughter said it tasted like mashed potatoes hahah I laughed when I told her what the ingredients were.
    She didnt hate it. Her only suggestion was to add hot sauce
    Will make again. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Neelema says

    October 9, 2022 at 4:48 pm

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! Just like another reviewer, I used regular flour with reduced fat milk to make the roux but that as the only change. My husband rolled his eyes at me trying this recipe as past hidden veggies Mac and cheese have not been the greatest. He absolutely loved this one and ate it again the next day. The flavors work great together! Thank you for this awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      October 14, 2022 at 7:41 am

      That’s wonderful!! Love when you can convince the doubters haha. Thanks so much for leaving a review!

      Reply
  11. Jackie says

    October 26, 2022 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    I haven’t actually made this yet but I give it 5 stars for looking amazing, haha. Wondering if you think I could blend lentils into the sauce? We had chickpea pasta and then we made the mistake of playing with it in on the floor and now it’s all over the house, haha.

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      November 15, 2022 at 7:11 pm

      I’ve never tried blending lentils so I’m not sure how the texture would turn out. It might turn gritty so I would test it out in a small batch first.

      Reply
  12. Su says

    November 15, 2022 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    My toddler loves this!! Making my second batch now 😊

    Reply
    • Jean Choi says

      November 15, 2022 at 7:10 pm

      Yay! Thank you so much!

      Reply

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Welcome!

headshot of Jean Choi - blogger of What Great Grandma Ate I’m Jean and I’m a Nutritional Therapist (NTP) living in Southern California with my husband and 2 dog babies. On WGGA, you’ll find simple and easy gluten-, dairy-, and processed sugar-free recipes that focus on quality nutrients, and of course, never sacrifice on taste. I believe that the food you love should love you back, making you feel amazing inside and out. I apologize in advance for my inappropriate jokes and misunderstood sarcasm! More About Jean

Recipe Key

  • 3030 Min or Less
  • AIPAIP
  • EFEgg Free
  • LCLow Carb
  • NFNut Free
  • PPaleo
  • VVegan
  • W3Whole 30

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