A Macaroni and Cheese Clone Dupes the Best of Them

How does one begin to combat a food that has been ingrained into the lives of nearly eight generations of children and is considered as American as apple pie; a product that advertisers have expertly implanted in our brain, one that conjures memories of our first foray into the kitchen, and one that harried mothers turn to in a desperate attempt to satisfy picky eaters? We have to get a little creative that’s all.
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese has ingeniously stood the test of time and morphed itself into the iconic comfort food. The original low-cost convenience food, it was first marketed during the Great Depression with the slogan,“a meal for four in nine minutes for an everyday price of 19 cents.”
During the rationing days of WWII, the long shelf life of the powdered-cheese product became a Godsend and enjoyed much success as a satisfying meatless entrée.
As the decades rolled by, advertisers targeted children. Fun pasta shapes and eye-popping bright orange sauce made it virtually impossible for a kid not to like it.
Unfortunately, our beloved mac and cheese is not all it is cracked up to be. The “blue box” we’re all suppose to clamor for is high in calcium and low in fat, but also high in sugar and sodium. And those pesky synthetic yellow dyes 5 and 6 that create the vivid yellow-orange-y sauce are potentially dangerous and currently under fire by concerned citizens who are petitioning the FDA for their removal.
Back to the original problem — how do we replace it not only in our cupboards, but also in our hearts? Simple: We create a 21st century M&C avatar. The new-and-improved version looks the same, right down to the brightly colored sauce, but uses REAL cheese and natural beta carotene found in carrots, all without the addition of sodium tripolyphosphate (an ingredient also found in detergents).
This macaroni and cheese impersonator still tasted creamy and cheesy, AND completely fooled my boyfriend. Halfway through dinner he said, “Hey, what happened to the carrots you were chopping?”
Now that’s a success story.

Carrot Mac and Cheese Recipe: Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

Peel and thinly slice ¾ pound of carrots. Place the carrots and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the carrots are very soft, about 25 minutes. Transfer the carrots and any liquid to a food processor and puree until very smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook 3 cups elbow macaroni (or any short-cut pasta, I used cavatappi) until el dente. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved cooking water and the carrot puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is coated with a thickened sauce. About 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in 1 ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cook, stirring until very creamy, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Stir in ½ teaspoon dried tarragon, ¼ teaspoon white pepper and season with salt to taste.
If you’re starving — dig in! If you want to get fancy, transfer the pasta to a medium baking dish, sprinkle a little more cheese on top and bake uncovered in a 350-degree oven until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Do you think this dish could replace the dried powdered “cheese” box version? Tell us how you fared. —Karen