Meatless Mondays – Macaroni and Cheese Vegetable Casserole

This morning as I sit and write this post, my mind is wandering to the growing list of things I should be doing and the shrinking list of the things I want to do.  I’m okay with this.  Laundry can wait, the house cleaning can wait a bit longer, and redundant chore of decluttering definitely is going to wait.  Instead, I am concentrating on enjoying this last week of “brain rest” with finishing up my office/craft room makeover, binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, and some much overdue reading. Okay, I may do the laundry but no other work.

Even meals are going to be simpler this week, like this Macaroni and Cheese Vegetable Casserole. It’s full of cheesy-goodness and vegetables.  I’ve adapted the original recipe a bit to suit what I had on hand and our tastes and we loved it.  This is perfect for Meatless Mondays or when you want a main dish that isn’t going to take long to prepare.  I even managed to make this in one pot – less dishes to wash – bonus!

Meatless Mondays – Macaroni and Cheese Vegetable Casserole

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Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 small onion diced finely
• 2 cloves garlic minced finely
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
• dash or two of hot sauce
• 2 cups broccoli florets fresh and uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and keep warm. While pasta is cooking, cut the grape tomatoes in half, if desired.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic, cook till soft (a couple of minutes).
• Whisk in flour, and cook 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk in milk and half and half and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Mix in the dash or two of hot sauce.
• Stir in both cheeses, salt and pepper and stir until cheeses have melted and mixture is smooth.
• Add the broccili, pasta, and tomatoes and gently stir into the cheese mixture.
• Pour mixture into prepared 13 x 9 inch baking dish and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked through and the top is golden brown.
• Recipe adapted from It's a Lovely Life!

Enjoy!