Bacon Broccoli Macaroni & Cheese {Lactose Free}

Last month I did a “comfort foods” cooking class at work and I knew I had to include Macaroni & Cheese, the ultimate comfort food. So I planned to make a health-ified mac & cheese using a cauliflower/carrot cheese sauce. I was all prepped for the class, but the day before the class,which was a Sunday, I stopped at work to check who was coming to the class … and one of the people who was signed up to come to the class had told me she has recently realized that she is lactose intolerant. Well, I couldn’t very well make macaroni & cheese if she was going to be at the class with no option for her to eat! So I decided I needed to make a lactose-free macaroni and cheese as well, which I figured shouldn’t be too hard, really, since the sauce I was planning is made creamy by steaming carrots & cauliflower, pureeing them, then adding a bit of cheese. All I needed was some of that lactose free “cheese”, right?

I went to the store and found some “cheddar shreds”, a lactose-free product that claimed to taste and melt like cheese. I can’t say it melts exactly like cheddar, but it works pretty good in a cheese sauce and it tastes quite a lot like cheddar cheese. It turned out really good. You wouldn’t even know there are cauliflower and carrots hiding inside. The sauce is thick and creamy and cheesy tasting … it totally works! I know what the skeptic in you is probably saying right now, but just trust me and give it a try. I think you’ll be surprised how good a cheese-less macaroni and cheese can taste.

And if you don’t have anyone lactose intolerant to feed, go ahead and use real cheese and real milk in place of the lactose-free stuff.

Bacon Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese {Lactose Free}

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 - 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower, broken into chunks
• 2 – 3 carrots, peeled & chopped into large chunks
• 2 cups chopped frozen broccoli
• 1 cup of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk
• 1 cup lactose free cheddar flavor shreds (I used “Go Veggie” cheddar flavor shreds)
• Salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 4 oz. macaroni (I used veggie macaroni – substitute whole wheat, gluten free or quinoa macaroni if you like)

For the top:

• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 – 3 slices lean bacon, cooked & crumbled
• 1/2 cup lactose free cheddar flavor shreds

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a casserole pan or large rectangular pyrex pan with cooking spray.
2. Put the cauliflower and carrot chunks in a steamer (or a saucepan with a bit of water) and steam until very tender. You can also steam the veggies in a microwave by putting them into a microwave safe bowl, add a splash of water, cover the bowl with a plate and microwave for about 6 minutes, stirring every minute or two until the veggies are fall-apart tender when poked with a fork.
3. Pour the steamed veggies into a blender cup and add the broth, milk, and cheese shreds. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt & pepper to taste. If you want more flavor, blend in 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a few fresh herbs. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of chicken broth, coconut or almond milk to thin it a bit and blend a bit more.
4. Put the broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 1 minute. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute or until thawed.
5. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boiling and cook the macaroni. Drain the pasta and pour it back into the pan when fully drained. Pour the cheese sauce from the blender into the macaroni and stir to mix together. Add the broccoli and stir a little more. Pour into the prepared casserole pan.
6. Mix together the topping ingredients and sprinkle over top. Bake at 400 F. for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned and crispy.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Simple Supper Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Treasure Box Tuesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Foodie Friends Friday, Foodie FriDIY, Weekend Potluck, The Weekend Social, PureBlogLove, Hearth & Soul Bloghop and Retro Re-Pin Party.