Every little kid seems to love macaroni and cheese.
Well, here is a version that uses pureed red split lentils and carrots for a protein and vitamin packed mac 'n cheese that even fooled my picky niece into gobbling up seconds and thirds. The secret is to use mozzarella cheese to make it extra stringy and "appear" to be loaded with cheese.
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| Wash and drain lentil. Grate carrots |
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| Add to instant pot |
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| Cook high pressure 5 min, natural release 2 min |
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| Puree with an immersion blender |
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| Mix with boiled elbow macaroni and shredded mozzarella cheese |
If you have an instant pot, the lentils and carrots will be done in just a few minutes. But if you don't have an instant pot, you can boil them on the stove top for 15 minutes until soft. Puree the cooked carrots and lentils until smooth, and recruit some little helpers to mix the "orange cheese sauce" with the boiled pasta and shredded mozzarella.
After mixing, you can either warm the dish in the oven until the cheese melts, or if you are living where I am, and it's 100 degrees outside... just place the dish in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, stopping after every 2 minutes to give the dish a good mix.
Easy, fast and healthy.
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
- ½ c red split lentils, washed and drained
- ¾ c grated carrots
- 1 ½ c water
- ½ t salt
- 1 T dried chopped onions
- 2 T butter
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ c shredded mozzarella cheese (it's best to grate your own)
Procedures:
1. Add the first 5 ingredients to the instant pot.
2. Give everything a good stir to mix. Close lid to instant pot, and place vent to seal. Set the instant pot to pressure cook for 5 minutes, and natural release for 2 minutes. (Note: If you don’t have an instant pot, then add to a regular pot and simmer for 15 minutes on the stove top.)
3. After the timer is up, release the remaining pressure. Carefully open the lid. Add the butter, and use an immersion blender to puree until a smooth sauce is formed.
4. While the lentils and carrots are cooking, boil the elbow macaroni according to packaged instructions (usually 8-10 minutes in salted water). Drain and rinse the macaroni and transfer to an oven safe casserole dish.
5. Add the pureed carrots and lentils. And cheese. Mix to combine. Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed (I didn’t need any)
6. Microwave for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Or place casserole dish in a 375 F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve hot.