A delicious and easy One Pot Mac & Cheese recipe with hidden veg. Perfect for picky eaters who don't like eating their veggies!
If your kids love plain cheesy pasta but aren't so keen on veggies, then this is the recipe for you! I've created a really easy one pot Mac & Cheese with secret courgette that you can't see or taste. Perfect for the fussiest of eaters!
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe has fast become one of my favourites and this is why:
1.It's so easy to make. Everything gets cooked together in one pot which means minimal washing up!
2. It's super quick, ready in 15 minutes.
3. The ingredients are simple everyday staples like macaroni (or you can use another kind of pasta), milk and cheese.
4. It's got one portion of veg per serving in the form of grated courgette. The courgette cooks down into the sauce so you can't see or taste it. Perfect for super fussy kids!
5. This recipe is easy to customise to your liking. Feel free to add in some cooked chicken or ham. You can also change the type of cheese you use or even add in some other veggies too.
If you try my Mac & Cheese recipe please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I always love to see your creations!
If you're looking for more hidden veg recipes then try my Hidden Veggie Chicken Curry For Kids!
One Pot Mac & Cheese with Hidden Veg
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Description
A delicious Mac & Cheese recipe with hidden courgettes, made in one pot with Arla Organic Free Range Milk
Ingredients
- 2 medium courgettes
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 350g macaroni pasta
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 500ml Arla Organic Free Range Whole Milk
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 150g grated cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the courgettes by removing the green skin with a vegetable peeler and then finely grating them.
- In a large pan on a medium heat, add in the oil and then the onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
- Add in the macaroni, stock, milk, oregano, dijon mustard and grated courgette. Stir well.
- Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 5-7 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Add in the cheese, stir well and remove from the heat.
- Serve immediately.
If you liked this One Pot Mac & Cheese Recipe you may also enjoy these other quick and easy one pot pasta recipes:
Emma says
My child didn’t like it because of either the onion or the courgette (not sure which). What did I do wrong?!
Vicky says
Hi Emma, don't think you would of done anything wrong, kids seems to be able to pick out the smallest amount of veggies. The only advise we can offer if you make it again is to maybe finely dice all the veggies as small as you possibly can.
Anonymous says
Blend the sauce in a nutribullet
Abigail says
How can this be stored/frozen? It makes loads!
Vicky says
This recipe is best Served immediately, but can be frozen if needed, but please just be aware it may dry the sauce out.
Alisa says
This recipe didn't disappoint 🙂 now a strong favorite in our house
Jolene Hodgson says
Great for my fussy son, but I've made it twice and it has been quite runny both times. I'll definitely try less stock next time.
Thanks!
Vicky says
Yes definitely use a little less stock next time, glad your son loves this recipe.
Gillian C says
Amazing comfort food!
Vicky says
Especially this time of the year. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Hi,
I don’t have Dijon mustard. May I know if skipping this ingredient will affect the taste significantly? What kind of taste does Dijon mustard add to the pasta ? Is it like a taste enhancer ? Are there any replacements for the similar flavour / taste ?
Thank you
Anonymous says
Tried this pasta without Dijon mustard. It tastes great. Thank you for the yummy & healthy recipe!
Jennifer Thomas says
Made this but when I added the cheese it curdled and doesn’t look like it’s supposed to, any ideas what I did wrong? Thanks
Karen says
I add pureed caulfower to our mac and cheese recipe, and my fussy son loves it, I'll try this too it sounds good.
Sarah says
Such a quick and easy recipe. I made some for school lunches and have popped some in the freezer to use at a later date - the kids love it.
Malvina says
Great recipe. The whole family loved it (with the addition of chilli flakes for the parents). I added broccoli florets at the same time as the grated courgettes.
Kathy says
Never cooked mac n cheese before but tried this out on my 3 grandsons who were starving after school and they just loved it, had such a beautiful flavour 😊
Leigh says
My fussy 5yo was really excited to try this, normally we have to separate everything including a sauce so I took a gamble, used carrot as it's a family favourite & added bacon. Clean plates all round.
Louise says
My super fussy eater loves this! I’m over the moon and it’s really good for adults too. Lovely thank you x
Tas says
My daughter absolutely loved this recipe! She wolfed it down and asked for more! I couldn't be happier. Thank you!
Anonymous says
I didn’t have any courgette but put in peas, red capsicum and corn and called it traffic light pasta. It was a huge hit! Thank you.
Elle says
Amazing recipe - my fussy eater has never been interested in pasta before, but ate 3 bowls of this the first time I made it! Great way of sneaking veg in too. Thank you!
Bhavna says
Hi Thanks for this! how do you make vegetable stock? Thanks
Sam says
I LOVE a hidden veg recipe for my 3 year old and this one didn't disappoint! I like that it can be frozen as well so we've always got something a bit healthy for tea lurking in the freezer.
mandy says
Ooh yum, I have made loads of different hidden veg macaroni cheese recipes but I don't think I've ever used courgette.
Ciara Attwell says
It's a really sneaky way of getting some courgette into kids!!
Joanna Harris says
Was great - added some peas & sweetcorn too.
Can it be frozen as have a bit of excess!
Ciara Attwell says
Yes it can be frozen!