Confetti Mac and Cheese Recipe - Peas and Crayons Blog (2024)

Confetti Mac and Cheese is a veggified twist on the classic! This tasty One-Pot Mac and Cheese is blanketed with a deliciously easy cheesy sauce and loaded with veggies!

Guess what I finally have for you!!!!

Oh you already read the title, eh?

The teasing has come to and end! I come bearing gifts in the form of thefrom-scratch version of my shortcut veggie macaroni and cheese.You may now do a celebratory lap around the room.

This post is a teensy bit on the long side, but it’s merely because I have tons of photos and lots to say! The recipe itself is quick, easy, and will only require you to clean one pot.

Oh yes, justone!

Cleaning multiple pots and pans by hand is the bane of my existence and I have no less than a zillion scratch marks on my steel sink to prove just how angry it makes me.

Hi my name is Jenn, and I throw my pots. Don’t tell Paul.

One-Pot Confetti Mac and Cheese

The amount of milk and cheese needed may increase with noodle/macaroni size. If you’re using larger noodles, par-boiling the pasta in water before adding to the milk will help them cook faster and more thoroughly. Even medium pasta of a different shape might need to be partially boiled in water for a few minutes because they seem to soak up milk differently than the mini shells I used.

I’ll try to re-test with larger shells and different pasta as time goes by to provide instructions for anysubstitutionsyou might need to make! Just let me know if there’s something you need me to test! Because the recipe was written using mini shells, less time was needed to cook the pasta. I’m always an email or tweet away if a random question pops up – don’t hesitate to ask!

why use freshly grated cheese?

They have more flavor, better flavor, and zero sketchy additives. Also the anti-caking agents and additives in pre-shredded cheese will not melt properly and won’t work as well for this macaroni and cheese.

bring on the veggies!

Use any combination of vegetables you can dream up. Peas, carrots, broccoli, kale, squash, onion, etc… If you like it – cook it up and add it!

My dream combo is peas and carrots. Sometimes broccoli too!

I also have a Bacon Broccoli Mac and Cheese recipe I’m just wild for!

Lightly simmering the noodles in the milk will utilize the pasta’s natural starches and result in a thick, creamy sauce that will rival Velveeta. It’s a little effort for a huge payoff!

Enough of my rambling, let’s make some mac and cheese!It’s uber easy and pretty darn quick too.

Craving Baked Mac and Cheese with a Crispy Topping?

I highly suggest pouring the pot-o-confetti-mac into a baking dish, topping it with cheddar, gouda, and crumbled buttery whole grain cracker crumbs and baking it casserole-style til it’s hot and bubbly. I may or may not be eating it like this while I type. To say I’m obsessed with it is putting it lightly. It’s AMAZING!

So… how was it?!

Easy, cheesy, goodness! To turn this pot-o-comfort food into a balanced meal, pair a serving of confetti mac with a leafy green salad [bonus points for the extra veggies!] and there’s no reason for you to feel anything but happy.

Bulking up a standard 1-cup serving of macaroni with cheese with a pile of veggies not only gives you a larger pile of delicousness on your plate but also packs in an extra dose of vitamins andantioxidants.

Guilt is for the birds. This dish is quick, easy, and contains only natural, whole ingredients.

The veggie love doesn’t stop there — you can whip up confetti mac short-cut style with a box of all-natural macaroni and cheese [I love Annies brand] or even one of the all-natural or even vegan varieties that health food stores and larger grocery stores carry. Anything goes as long as you pile on those veggies!

For the sneakyshortcut, I’ll grab a few boxes of Annie’s Homegrown Deluxe Cheese and Shells when they go on sale, and save them for those beyond lazy dinners where I just want a bowl-o-cheese in my face. To pump up the nutrient density I warm up all the veggies I have on hand, fresh or frozen,and give this mac a makeover!

This batch had a cup of peas, a cup of carrots, and a few handfuls of broccoli thrown in the mix. To give the macaroni and cheese a flavor boost, I add a sprinkle of garlic powder, parsley, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. It’s shiny happy comfort food and makes enough for leftovers. Sold!

Now the typical 1 cup serving of macaroni and cheese is bulked up with an extra cup [or more!] of veggies, so instead of a small sad scoop, I can have a PILE of the stuff! I round out the meal with a big green salad and indulge without even the slightestinklingof guilt. Its balanced, beautiful, and freaking delicious!

hungry for more?

• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Homestyle Macaroni Salad
• Tortellini Pasta Salad