Rebecca Nielsen's Recipe

Mac and Trees

Category: Casseroles

Serves/Makes: 4 to 6
Difficulty: 2
Prep/Cook Time: 65 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray 2.5 quart casserole dish with vegetable spray

Ingredients

3 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
2 large cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
3 cups fresh broccoli cut in small florets
3 T kosher salt
2/3 cup red, orange and yellow bell peppers (small dice)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 plus 1 T flour
3 T butter
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
5 ounces provolone shredded
5 ounces Monterey Jack shredded
2 T melted butter
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions

In a large pasta pot bring water and the 2 smashed cloves of garlic to boil. Add 3 T kosher salt. Add whole wheat pasta, cover partially with lid and set timer for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes add broccoli florets and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Drain, remove garlic and return to pot and stir in the chopped bell peppers.

In large sauce pan over medium heat add milk, flour and 3 T butter. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Add nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese. It will be very thick but verrrrry cheesy. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and veggies and stir to coat well.

Pour mixture into greased casserole dish. Put 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs in small container and add 2 T melted butter. Mix with fingers until it resembles wet sand. Sprinkle liberally over top and place on middle rack of oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

You can garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro, but I like chopped basil.

Cooks notes - I used to get my kids to eat broccoli by calling them trees and dousing them with cheese sauce. It seems like adding cheese to anything makes it more pleasing to kids. So when I was thinking of a "new" kind of mac and cheese I thought you still have to have a lot of cheese but go with the healthier whole wheat pasta and the "trees". I wasn't disappointed. It turned out so well that my husband didn't even realize he wasn't getting meat in his dinner tonight. Hope you enjoy.