Broccoli mac and cheese

If your children are picky eaters when it comes to vegetables, then our vegetarian mac and cheese is perfect for sneaking hidden those vital vegetables into their mac and cheese. You can use cauliflower or broccoli – or a mixture of both – in this delicious bake. It’s easy to make, low-fat alternative and counts as part of your five-a-day.

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5.
2. Cook the macaroni in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and keep warm.
3. Cook the cauliflower or broccoli in a pan of boiling water or in a steamer or colander set over the cooking macaroni for about 5 minutes until just tender but not mushy. Drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper.
4. Meanwhile, make the white sauce: blend the cornflour with a little milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk in a pan and, as soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat. Stir in the cornflour mixture with a wooden spoon and keep stirring for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the fromage frais, mustard and most of the cheese, keeping back one tablespoon for the topping. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Put the macaroni and cauliflower or broccoli in an ovenproof dish. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling, crisp and golden brown on top.

Tip: Use broccoli florets instead of cauliflower or a mixture of the two. The calories are the same.

Step it up…
To enjoy this on Step 5, increase the amount of  half-fat Cheddar to 100g for a really cheesy sauce. Use 2–3 tbsp of the grated cheese for sprinkling over the top. And mix 150g quartered cherry tomatoes with the cauliflower or broccoli in the baking dish before coating with the sauce.

Healthy and low-calorie mac and cheese:

Mac and Cheese is a classic comfort dish, but did you know the calories are 860 kcal per serving. Our diet-friendly Mac and Cheese recipe has fewer than half the calories (400kcal per serving) and is just as tasty!

Visit the Steps page to find out more about the Plan or contact a Consultant to start your weight-loss journey today!