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Spiced roasted veg mac and cheese recipe

Spiced roasted veg mac and cheese recipe

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We've taken the well-loved dish mac 'n' cheese and packed in root veg and spices to create a delicious twist that's budget- and freezer-friendly. There's even leftover cheesy sauce to make the Cheat's creamy chicken and spinach curry. See method

  • Serves 4
  • Takes 1 hr
  • 575 calories / serving
  • Freezable
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds, gently crushed
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds, gently crushed
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, gently crushed
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp crushed chillies
  • 1 extra-large cauliflower, cut into small florets, leaves reserved and halved down the stalk
  • 260g macaroni
  • 90ml olive spread
  • 90g plain flour
  • 450ml milk
  • 1 reduced-salt vegetable stock cube, made up to 450ml
  • 200g 50% reduced-fat mature cheese, grated
  • 20g grated pecorino
If you don't have any butternut squash, try sweet potato

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2435kj
    575kcal     29%

  • Fat

    17g 25%

  • Saturates

    6g 31%

  • Sugars

    15g 17%

  • Salt

    1.3g 22%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 74.5g Protein 26.4g Fibre 6.1g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 5, 190°C, fan 170°C. Put the squash in a large, shallow oven tray with half the oil and half of all the spices. Mix well to coat the squash. Roast for 35 mins.
  2. Meanwhile, put the cauliflower florets and leaves in a separate large, shallow baking tray and toss with the remaining oil and spices. Roast for the last 20 mins of the squash cooking time.
  3. Cook the macaroni to pack instructions; drain.
  4. Meanwhile, melt the olive spread in a large pan and stir in the flour. Cook over a medium heat for 2 mins, remove from the heat, then gradually stir in the milk and stock. Return to the heat and simmer for 2 mins, stirring continually, or until thickened. Remove from the heat, then stir in the mature cheese to melt; season to taste. Add 250g of the roasted cauliflower and leaf mix and 250g of the roasted squash and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Stir in most of the remaining roasted veg, reserving a little for the top.
  5. Stir half the sauce (reserve the rest for Cheat’s creamy chicken and spinach curry linked above) and the macaroni together, then spoon into a 2ltr baking dish. Scatter over the reserved veg, then the pecorino. Bake for 15-20 mins until golden.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

In order to enjoy optimum flavour and quality, frozen items are best used within 3 months of their freezing date. For more tips on freezing and defrosting food, read our article Love Your Freezer.

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