This carrot mac & cheese is a lighter version of the comfort food classic. Carrot puree replaces some of the cheese in the typical recipe.
Every time I pickup my son at daycare his teachers tell me that he is a very good eater. What does that even mean? Is it variety? Quantity?
I guess there aren’t too many things to measure a 2-year-old by, so it’s how much he’s eating. And probably whether he’s being fussy or not.
The teachers marvel how our slim guy can plow through pasta like a champ. Well, he’s a growing boy!
As a first-time mom, I have learned that this is high praise for a toddler, but at home his dining style is a different story.
Kids learn at a very young age that exhausted parents are total pushovers. Of course I love my child, but he’s a master at manipulation.
I will never forget cooking pasta with tomato sauce from scratch, proudly presenting it to him, and being met with hysterical tears.
How could my food make him cry!? I was trying to feed him a kid-friendly carb.
The most veggies I ate growing up were raw carrot sticks. I managed to turn out fine. Now I can’t get enough vegetables.
It takes some effort, but I am doing my best not to get frustrated with his selective picky eating.
I will continue with nutritious homemade meals even though there’s a good he will push his plate to the side or start crying.
The other week I made carrot mac & cheese, a lighter version of a comfort food classic.
First, I simmer sliced carrots in water to get them soft enough to puree.
That subtly sweet carrot purée allowed me to reduce the usual amount of cheese.
Then best part of this lightened mac & cheese was that even I enjoyed it.
I tend to be wary of certain kid foods since they aren’t they aren’t the healthiest.
When I served my son a plate of carrot mac & cheese, I held my breath. Much to my relief, he dug right in.
I consider it a big victory since I snuck in a vegetable.
PrintThis carrot mac & cheese is a lighter version of the comfort food classic. Carrot puree replaces some of the cheese in the typical recipe.
Adapted from Food & Wine April 2009
I’ve made this with pureed butternut squash and my picky husband never can tell!
I love these sneaky, healthy food tricks!
Tomato might be too much for a little one. Interestingly, npboth of my kids prefer pesto over red sauce.
Love this idea! Will be trying this out for sure. Thanks, Paige!
I joke (but with a grain of truth) sometimes that the amount of time I spend cooking a meal is inversely proportional to the amount of time Leo spends eating it.