Recently I'd watched My Fussy Eater hidden a roasted butternut squash into a creamy pasta sauce. This took me back to the healthy Butternut Squash & Celeriac Pasta Bake I created coincidentally this month last year.
So, it inspired me to create a slow cooker mac and cheese with hidden carrots!
Many of us are time-starved, so it was important for me to be able to leave it and get back to the day job while I work from home.
And let me tell you, the carrot is so subtle that you wouldn't have guessed it was there if I hadn't have told you. And it gives it a beautiful golden cheese colour.
LEFTOVERS
My favourite time to eat this dish is the day after cooking. In fact, a study has proven it's less calorific eating reheating pasta!
If you leave it to cool and store in the fridge, it solidifies and loses its wetter texture. I don't know why, but it tastes even more naughty. I have done this so many times!
📖 Recipe
Carrot Mac and Cheese Slow Cooker Recipe
Ingredients
- 650 g carrots (unprepared weight), peeled, sliced & steamed or boiled
- 250 ml skimmed milk
- 160 g reduced fat cheese
- 160 g dried marcaroni
- 400 ml water (Reserved from steamed carrots)
- Seasoning
Instructions
- Boil or steam the carrots until tender and drain them, but holding back 400ml of the water but discard the rest.
- Now in a blender, blitz the carrots, water and milk until smooth and pour in to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the macaroni along with the cheese, place the lid on top and cook on low for 2 hours without taking the lid off. If using an oven, my friends over at Slow Cooker Saddos say try preheating your oven on 80 degrees and place in a lidded casserole for 2 hours.
- Once cooked, give everything a stir (and not beforehand), season again if needed and serve.
- And why not make my day by tagging me on Instagram with a pic of your healthy Mac & Cheese (@TastefullyVikkie).
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Video
Nutrition
CAN'T MAKE IT NOW? THEN WHY NOT PIN IT FOR LATER HERE:
Rhian Boulter
As we are now allowed 2 Hea could one portion of this be free if using the cheese and milk as the Hea? Thanks
AM Taylor
Oh my! This is so rich and creamy!
I used whole wheat penne as I couldn't get whole wheat macaroni and it cooked beautifully. Not only a good fit to my SW eating plan but also incredibly inexpensive. I also added a stock cube to the water rather than adding salt.
Jaquelyn
What are the instructions for oven-cooking this recipe please?
Georgina
Making this for the second time today, just a note, if using gluten free macaroni, don’t cook for the full 2 hours as it will dissolve! 1 1/2 hours on low is plenty! Very tasty!
Claire McWilliams
Made this for tea and added chicken, bacon, sweetcorn and spinach. Even the baby is tucking in, thank you!
Rachel Parker
I'm going to make this one day this week.
Has any one tried adding onion's to it,if so did it taste OK? And is there anything else anyone has added before,maybe some garlic?
STuart
I am in the process of making this it is in the slow cooker but it is coming out too thick what should I do
jamieli
just tried making this today and am so far enjoying it,
i think i must have made it wrong, as mine tastes very like carrot lol, which cheese would be best to use? also, what seasonings should i use? i just used salt and pepper but once again, it isn’t as tasty as i imagined it would be,
thank you!
Tim
I followed the ingredients to the word and it turned out very tasty.
I put it all in my slow cooker on low, waited two hours but it was still very wet and the pasta still had a crunch. (It may be my slow cooker) I turned it up to high for around 30-40 mins and it turned out great.
Highly recommend this recipe!
Thank you for sharing Vikkie
Claire
I’ve just made this and it’s absolutely delicious. Macaroni is a favourite of mine and I really miss it when I’m dieting so I’m really glad I found this recipe! Thank you ?
Chlo
Hey! I’m wanting to make this tonight, but I don’t have a blender ? any other way I can do it without using a blender please?
David
Made this tonight. I loved it but unfortunately no tricking the 3 year old. Very cheap and easy to make so got leftovers for work later. Thanks a bunch.
Louise
Hi. I made this the other day and it was amazing. Just wondering do you think I could double the portions to make 8 servings? Would it still only be 2 hours on low? Thanks
vikkie
Hiya,
Glad you loved it 🙂 And I can't see why not. It may need another 30 mins at a guess due to the volume. I would just go for 2 hours and see if it needs more time x
Amy
Hi VIkki,
In the process of making this now, is it definitely only 160g of macaroni? IT might just be because I'm starving but it doesn't seem very much!!
Thank you!
Amy
vikkie
Yes, it will all be absorbed by the rest of the ingredients. Also, the leftovers really thicken up x
Amy
Great, thank you!x
Cathy
Hi I’ve just made this recipe got it in the slow cooker as we speak - I tasted a little of the sauce and it tasted amazing thankyou - I’ve added a few additions to mine hope it still turns out ok - I’ve added 2 x hot red chillis and a tin of tuna - hoping it’ll turn out like a tuna pasta bake ??
Jen
Can this be frozen? Trying to get myself organised fr days I work late to keep myself on the slimming bandwagon!!
vikkie
Hi Jen,
I've never tried it, but can't see why not. Let me know how you get on x
myfussyeaterblog
Adding carrots is such a great idea. I will try this with my kids, great recipe!
vikkie
Thank you Ciara! You really can't taste it and thank you again for the inspiration x
Kirsty Bennett
This looks great. Can't wait to try it for my fussy three year old!x
vikkie
I cross my fingers for you! And try to make sure you use macaroni pasta and not regular pasta as the latter doesn't need as much water and don't want it to be sloppy for you x
Kirsty Bennett
Ooo thanks, think this will be right up his street and I can say I've used double Gloucester hence the orange colour! Trickery! Love your creamy chicken orzo dish, keep them coming please xxx