Family Meal Time. It’s more important than you think.
I once read 
My favorite childhood meal. The meal I could eat everyday and every night for two weeks straight when I was a kid (and I’m not kidding). Mac and cheese.
Now, my parents were small business owners (a Korean grocery store and a few restaurants) and so they worked all the time. We had a nanny who stayed with us and I remember her making Kraft macaroni and cheese for us all the time. Now I am not knocking that neon orange powdery cheese, because, hey, we all ate that stuff growing up, didn’t we? I was a kid. I loved the stuff. But I probably should not have been eating this stuff more than 3 times a week. My parents worked hard 6 days a week and although we did not sit down to a complete family dinner every night, my parents made sure we had a hot, meal for dinner every night and we always ate together as a family on Sunday mornings. Even though I wish we ate together more regularly, this is what was doable for my family growing up.
Today I am bringing you the Hip Foodie Mom version of Mac and Cheese. No neon orange powdery cheese here. Only the good stuff. Fresh ingredients. And with vegetables. And nothing out of a box, except the pasta. This mac and cheese does not disappoint. It’s cheesy and flavorful and packed with veggies so your kids are forced to eat them (the cauliflower is easily disguised) or pick them out (note: this is why I try to dice up the veggies really small). Either way, I hope you and your family enjoy!
Veggie Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dry elbow macaroni pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2-3 cups cauliflower; diced
- 2-3 cups cremini mushrooms; diced
- 2-3 cups kale; diced
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream + more if too dry but 1/2 cup should be fine
- 3-4 heaping cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese or blend of cheddar + gruyere
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to package directions but cook 1 minute less than what the package calls for. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- Using the same pot you just cooked your pasta in, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. After a minute, add all of your diced vegetables and cook until softened and fragrant; for about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the nutmeg in and stir. After a minute or so, add in the pasta, sour cream, heavy cream and cheese. Mix until well combined and heated through; for about 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.
Sources for this post: an article from CNN.com/Health.com and WebMD.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.
I have been meaning to make mac and cheese for the longest time. It just gets delayed all the time, and it’s weird since I’m SUCH a pasta fan! Alice, this plate look quite innocent in spite of all that fabulous cups of cheddar. I’m loving it so much! Might even try it very very soon.
Great tips! I need to try this recipe out as I always have kale in the house but my husband isn’t a fan. I’ll sneak it in his mac n cheese.
I grew up eating Korean food most of the time, but when my mom experimented in the kitchen with more non-Asian cuisines, it was always memorable (some good and some not-so-good) and a treat!
Your mac and cheese looks and sounds great! Beautiful photos as always!
Some great tips and facts here! And I could totally go for a big bowl of this mac & cheese for lunch today!
I guess I was lucky that my parents would make mac and cheese from scratch. I never even tried the boxed stuff until I was an adult (and no, I didn’t cook it. I had it at a friend’s house). Anyway, if there ever was a way to get my husband to eat kale I know this would be it. I’m going to make this the next time instead of my usual and see how he likes it.
Love your dinner tips, Alice! Mac and Cheese with veggies sounds really good to me!
LOVE all of your fun facts! You are so right about the importance of family dinners. Also, mac and cheese? VERY important.
I love all of the data you shared about the benefits of Family Dinners! I grew up eating supper at the table every night, and brunch as well every weekend. Our family ate every meal together, except breakfast. Now-a-days, my family does the same thing. It really makes a difference!
All the added veggies are exactly how I’d prefer my mac and cheese! It looks fantastic!!!
Fantastic tips and info! And your mac and cheese sounds so good!
I love all your tips! Family dinners really are important. Love your mac and cheese too. What a great way to add in some veggies. Yum!
I love all of your tips and could not agree with you more.
Your version of Mac & Cheese sounds fantastic and pleasing to any palette 🙂
What a healthy, delicious recipe! And your tips were spot on! Especially love the baby steps tip 🙂
The addition of cauliflower and sour cream undoubtedly makes the Hip Foodie Mom’s mac ‘n cheese delicious and nutritious! More importantly, I love, love, love that you have done your homework and proven why family suppers are invaluable. Your girls are indeed lucky to have you as their Hip Foodie Mom!
Awh, Kim. . you are so sweet! I love reading your comments. . thank you so much! And yes, I loved this week because I also learned a lot!
Love this post, Alice, and the recipe looks SO GREAT! I really need to start sneaking in some vegetables into my mac and cheese, if only to fool myself into eating more 🙂
Unnie, this post is chock full of information and healthful tips! Since we don’t have any children, my husband and I try to eat together as much as we can these days. Before, we ate together maybe 2 times a week..now it’s more like 5. We have found that we end up eating much less as we’re not just stuffing our faces. It’s def drawn us closer together. Growing up, my mom never ate with us..she just cooked, set the table, and left the room. I wish she had stayed as food really does draw families closer together. I look forward to becoming a mother and swapping stories with my children around the dinner table! My husband loves mac and cheese, but I hardly make it for him. Im trying to get him to eat kale so I’m def going to make this soon!
Love the veggie combination in your mac and cheese and how you dice the veggies small so they are harder to pick out 🙂
What great stats! And I love how you have snuck veggies into this mac and cheese. Yum!
Love your dinner tips and I agree that family dinner can be a stress reliever…and your mac-n-cheese looks so delicious, especially with the addition of kale, mushroom, and nutmeg. Extra flavors and colors!
Thank you, Linda! 🙂 See you soon!
Love this mac and cheese with all those yummy veggies packed in there! And I really enjoyed this post. I’m a big supporter of the family meal and make it a priority in our household. What a great message this post sends!
A stunning meal with fabulous tips! We always ate together as a family growing up (well except when mom had to work evenings as she was a nurse). Even as a teenager, I still sat down and had dinner together. No tv, no background noise. It was us there to talk about our day and what’s going on.
This is such an important post, Alice. Preach all you want, girl! I’m a huge believer in the importance and benefits of family dinners. Even though my parents worked their butts off, often 7 days a week, my mom always made sure to be home on time and cooked us healthy, nutritious meals. My dad made sure we all sat together. Those meals were often the often time I saw my parents growing up and they made sure to instill as many values and beliefs as they could on us in that short time. And it worked. To this day, I practice what my parents taught me. I didn’t have mac ‘n cheese until I was an adult (I’ve never even tried KD before. Isn’t that crazy?) but it’s one of my absolute favourite foods. I love how you packed yours full of veggies. It looks delicious!