Vegetable Mac and cheese

Today we are having a great old Minnesota blizzard blanketing the Twin Cities with snow yet again.
After getting a little taste of what spring feels like last week we are now quickly being sent back to the reality of February in Minnesota. They say we will get 10 inches before this one moves on. Well, no better time than to hunker down and do some cooking! I spent most of the day in the kitchen making a family favorite for lunch, Vegetable Mac and Cheese, and baking a banana cake I have wanted to try for ages. I also did some of the prep work for making Ratatouille. One of the eggplants I bought was not in good shape, so I have to wait until tomorrow to make this meal for my family. That takes care of our vegetarian meal for the week. There are some other  great meals coming later in the week too, so check in often!

This Vegetable Mac and Cheese recipe is another one from a cooking class for kids and parents at Cooks of Crocus Hill. My oldest daughter and I took this class a few years back and this dish became an instant family favorite. I usually make the vegetarian version, but today I had some ham I wanted to use, so I added that. It was a good addition. This dish is great on its own for lunch as we had it today, or as a side dish with roasted chicken or meatloaf. It serves 6 for lunch but if you make this as a dinner meal double the recipe. Serve with a side salad and good bread. M-m-m good!

Vegetable Mac and cheese

1 1/2 cup dried macaroni*

3 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices

10 oz. frozen or fresh broccoli, in small pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup cooked diced ham (optional)

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 T Dijon mustard

1/4 t Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

6 oz. grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Stir in the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook 2 minutes more. Drain - reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta and veggies to the sauce pan. Add the peas and ham if using.

In a food processor or blender, combine the cottage cheese with the reserved cooking liquid. Add the mustard, Tabasco, salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Stir into the pasta and vegetable mixture. Add the cheddar and mozzarella and pour into the baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake uncovered until the top is golden brown - 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let it set for a few minutes.

*Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta

(Recipe adapted from Chef Van Kezler, "Rents and Runts")