Cooking With Kids- Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

A favorite lunchtime snack- described to kiddos as "EXTRA cheesy," because of the orange color from the carrots- is a great way to get a full serving of vegetables into your kids' diet! You can rotate the vegetables seasonally, adding butternut squash, pumpkin, orange peppers, etc. depending on what time of year it is.

Ingredients:

3-4 peeled and thinly sliced carrotsdash of salt2 cups elbow macaroni1 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat until the carrots are very soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a blender and puree until very smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping about 1 cup of the pasta water in the pan. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the carrot puree and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is coated with a thickened sauce. Stir in three-fourths of the cheese and cook, stirring, until very creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the pasta to a medium baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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