This veggie based “Mac & Cheese” is currently my fave low carb, no-starch comfort food recipe. I love how easy it is to make, and I love that when I am devouring all these nutrient dense veggies and gooey goat cheese, I am whisked away to memories of being a kid at Grandma’s enjoying her old school oven baked (gluten-filled) macaroni and cheese. Don’t tell Grandma, but if I were forced to make a choice between which mac & cheese I want nowadays, it’s THIS one, hands down!! But that’s also because eating gluten & grains these days makes my body feel like utter crap, whereas veggies & goat cheese makes me feel amazing!!
This recipe is really flexible and forgiving. I encourage you to use your fave low carb & orange veggies! I personally love this using a base of kohlrabi, golden beets, and sweet onion, and those are the veggies I used for the photos you see along with mild goat milk cheddar. If you are after a lower carb count, feel free to use zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms, or whatever you please. Just be sure to slice you veggies in small macaroni like shapes, and you may find yourself forgetting you are even eating your veggies too.
Healthy Mac and Cheese with Veggies – low carb
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 to 4 servings
Author Andrea Wyckoff
Ingredients
6 cups to 8 sliced low carb veggies of your choice: zucchini yellow squash, kohlrabi, cauliflower, rutabaga, mushrooms, fennel bulb, radish, asparagus, etc.
2 cups to 4 orange veggies your choice: carrot golden beets, sweet potato, orange bell peppers, etc. (or use more low carb veggies instead)
1 cup sweet onion or yellow onion sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 Tablespoons to 2 goat milk butter or avocado oil
Tablespoons optional: 2 to 4 “milk” of your choice
1 1/2 cups to 2 shredded goat cheddar or your fave cheese
2 oz to 4 soft goat cheese or cream cheese
sea salt & black pepper to taste
fresh herbs your choice: dill chives, basil, oregano, parsley
Instructions
Note: I make this all the time for a quick easy comfort food meal! It turns out great every time when I use “rough measurements”. My fave veggies to use are: kohlrabi, golden beets, and sweet onions, but I encourage you to use your faves.
Rinse, wash, peel veggies of your choice. Then slice them into short & thin strips, similar in size to macaroni noodles.
Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add butter and veggies that take the longest to cook first (like sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, beets, carrot, onion.) Cook these veggies for a total of 14 to 18 minutes or until soft. Half way through cooking time add in the veggies that cook faster, like zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and asparagus. Add in minced garlic half way through too. I usually add a couple tablespoons of “milk” (coconut milk) towards the end of the cooking time to help keep the veggies soft.
When veggies are nicely cooked and soft, turn off heat, add in shredded cheese, and soft goat cheese. Reserve a handful of shredded cheese to place on top.
Stir veggies and cheese together well, then spoon veggies into individual serving bowls, ramekins, or a casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese and minced fresh herbs on top. Set under the oven broiler on high for a few minutes to brown the cheese on top.
Serve.