Well, it may be a new year, but that doesn't mean my kids have made a resolution to eat better! I try, but seriously, my son is so picky. I mean, we didn't have the best eating habits the first few years of his life, so I can't blame him. He saw broccoli on his plate tonight and cried before he even let me explain to him that all I wanted was for him to try ONE bite. ONE. Stinking. Bite. There was more of a meltdown and then we got through it.
And lately, my toddler has decided that she is no longer a meat eater. Not to mention, anything she chews that she doesn't want anymore, she spits it out...onto your hand, onto the floor, on the table, wherever, really.
So I knew when making (in my opinion) the best healthy versions of Mac N Cheese I have had that they would beg to differ. Being the amazing mom (haha) that I am, I opted to not mix the broccoli in until after I made their plates.
Both loved what they ate, even if there were tons of veggies left on the plate (and chicken for the toddler)! The husband is a fan of this meal, so no complaints from him. I opted for salad for dinner tonight, feeling a little carb loaded at the moment.
It is a recipe from the Fixate cookbook however, I have had to modify the original due to my son's tree nut allergy. Plus, I use a rotisserie chicken to simplify my life. So here is my version!
UPDATED: Finally! It only took almost a year from this original post to get my son to eat this WITH the broccoli in it. I set a small serving on a plate in front of him and told him he had to eat every bite and if he did, he could have a quesadilla or pbj. It worked! I did it two times now and he ate it all both times. Remember, it takes 10 exposures to a food before someone can acquire a taste for it or even want to try it...so keep placing the food in front of those picky eaters as often as you can.
Macaroni & Cheese w/ Broccoli & Chicken
{{Recipe: Adapted from Fixate Cookbook}}
Serves 8 (1 1/2C each)
What you need:
4oz. dry whole wheat macaroni
4tsp. organic grass fed butter (or you can use coconut oil instead)
2TBSP. unbleached whole wheat flour
1 1/2C skim milk (or almond milk, which is used in original recipe)
1 1/4C freshly extra sharp cheddar
3C chopped rotisserie chicken breast, skin removed (or bake your own chicken breast)
6C chopped broccoli florets
1tsp. sea salt
1/2tsp. ground black pepper
1. Cook macaroni per the box (do not add extra salt or oil). Set aside.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute, or until brown (don’t let it burn).
4. Slowly whisk in skim milk; cook, whisking constantly, for 1-2 min, or until mixture thickens & there are no lumps.
. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly, for 2-3 min, or until melted.
6. Add chicken, noodles, broccoli, salt & pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 min, or until heated through.
7. Serve & enjoy!!
For my Fix family, this one counts as 1 green, 1 yellow, 1/2 red, 1/2 blue
Wishing you all a happy and healthy New Year!