Around this time of year the abundance of vegetables can nearly seem overwhelming. Even if you don't have a vegetable garden, the low prices on some produce can be so tempting, that it's easy to over buy. One day last week, I'd plucked a couple carrots and a Japanese eggplant from my not so stellar veggie garden, and teamed them up with some summer squash I'd bought a couple days earlier.
I stood there pondering what to do with this motley assemblage. An Asian dish seemed the obvious choice, but my belly disagreed. It said "Feed me cheese." In a rather deep and demanding voice, I might add. Hence, this easy Cheesy Veggie Salsa Mac was born.
In this simple vegetable mac and cheese dish, the cheese is mixed straight in, rather than being made into a sauce. It does meld with the salsa a little, but remains it's one entity in the dish for the most part (which sounds far more fancy than it actually is).
If you like the idea of using salsa in your cooking, be sure to also try my Instant Pot Salsa Chicken or Salsa Verde Fish cooked in foil. Both recipes are easy and quite tasty.
Ingredients
- ½ tbs butter or oil
- 1 small zucchini sliced
- 1 small yellow summer squash sliced
- 1 large or a couple small carrots sliced thin
- 1 small eggplant about a cup chopped, peppers or most other veggies on-hand could be substituted
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 cup cooked pasta (shells gemelli or macaroni are good choices
- ⅓ cup salsa
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar + another ¼ cup for topping
- 1 tbs bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place butter or oil in skillet over med-high heat. Once pan is hot, add the vegetables and garlic. Saute a little under your usual preference, as they will cook a little more in casserole dish.
- Turn off burner and stir in the salsa and ½ cup of cheese, then divide into 2 small (single serve) casseroles, that have been coated with non-stick cooking spray.
- Top each with half the bread crumbs and remaining cheddar. Then bake for approx 20 minutes, cheese should be all melted and starting to brown.
- Allow to cool a few minutes, then serve right in the individual casseroles.
Nutrition
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies says
Delicious! I don't think I'm getting eggplant from my garden this year, but I'll gladly buy some to make this recipe. 😀
Donna says
I mix salsa in mac 'n cheese all the time, so I bet I'd love this! And it sounds like a great way to get some veggies into my son. 🙂
Jenn- The Rebel Chick says
I love the idea of adding veggies to mac and cheese.
Meghan Cooper says
The perfect combo!
Lisa says
I'll have to try this. We've got lots of zucchini!
Tiff @ Babes and Kids says
It's a really great idea to add veggies to mac and cheese. I so wish I had a garden with an abundance of veggies. Dare to dream!
Liz says
I think I'd do things like this a lot more if I had a garden, better yet a gardener. It looks really good!
Lolo says
I want to try this substituting with the peppers like you suggested.
Anne says
Mac and cheese with salsa? Yumm!
Jenn says
Oh the cheese! Want some right now.
Tammy says
Salsa sounds like a great mix in for Mac & Cheese (I used to eat it with ketchup when I was younger, so salsa just sounds more grown up LOL!)
Crystal @ Simply Being Mommy.com says
You had me at cheese! Love your little dishes too!
Emily says
What a fun twist on an old classic! Spicy and healthy(er)!
Shell Feis says
This recipe hits on a lot of my current cravings, so it's on the menu plan for this week!
Toni says
What a great way to get some veggies into kids. I will have to let mine try this because getting them to eat veggies as a side dish is a struggle.