Roasted Beet Mac n’ Cheese
This creamy roasted beet mac n’ cheese is the perfect alternative to regular mac n’ cheese, and it adds a serving of healthy veggies to a normally decadent dish!
I know the color of this pasta is absolutely crazy and a little off-putting. I mean, it’s pink. But I promise you, it’s only pink from the beets. No weird food coloring or fake additives. My friend so lovingly called it “pepto” pasta, but I promise, it tastes nothing like pepto. I would know, I’ve been straw-feeding myself that stuff for about 2 days now.
I don’t know what happened, but I’ve had a horrible bug since yesterday. I’m praying it’s a 24 hour thing because I don’t have time to be bed-ridden. I’ve got a bunch of work to do today and we’re going to Charleston this weekend. I refuse to be sick in a place where the temperatures are above 75 degrees, there’s a beach and ready access to a boat. Plus there’s shrimp n’ grits to eat, gin to drink and Lily Pulitzer to buy.
Everytime we go to Charleston, it gets harder and harder to leave. The warm weather, the beautiful architecture, the cobblestone streets and wispy willow trees. I feel like I’m in a Nicholas Sparks movie whenever I walk down King street. I’ve loved the city from my first visit in college. Luckily we visit 3 – 4 times a year, but that’s not enough. We need to move there. I need to have an old Charleston home with a beautiful porch on the side. I need to have a beach that I can drive to in 10 minutes time. I need to walk down the street and see men wearing bow-ties and hear the sweet sound of southern accents. When I close my eyes and think of my happy place, it’s almost always Charleston.
This is why I can not be sick this weekend. So I’m powering through today by skipping any food that has flavor. Mmmmm, toast with seltzer water. Can’t wait! (Runs and cries into a blanket).
Roasted Beet Mac n’ Cheese
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Serves about 8. Recipe adapted from Tablespoon.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2/3 pound rotini noodles
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 small-medium size beets
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 3/4 cup low-fat milk
- 1/4 cup light cream
- 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup part-skim cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the beets in a 9 x 13 glass dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for about 28 – 30 minutes, or until softened. Let cool slightly. With gloves on, peel the beets and chop into pieces. Place the beets into a food processor and pulse until pureed.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the rotini and cook until al-dente, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add flour and cook about 2 minutes. Add the milk and cream and whisk until thickened, about 4 – 6 minutes. Add in salt, pepper and beet puree. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 314.3
Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 26.2 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 14.23 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 7
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