Roasted Veggies Tater Tots Mac and Cheese! One meal you can’t say no to!
This mac & cheese! Roasted veggies! Tater tots!Yes you heard it right. Tater tots are the star here and make this normal roasted veggie mac & cheese a hit. This is my new favorite mac and cheese and it is semi-healthy too if you count all those large bell peppers and brussel sprouts inside and yes, I always always make a milk and cheese based sauce that seriously helps to reduce down the calories by a whooping large number.
Though I believe mac and cheese tastes the best if served right once it is done but I often cook most of my dishes few hours in advance before everyone hits the dinner table! Shorter days call for me wrapping up the shoots by max 4pm as it starts to get all dark and leaves a weird blueish tint in the pictures! I am learning so I can start taking pictures at night but I won’t lie if I say that I love shooting in natural light!
So yes if possible, try and get everything ready but just an hour before dinner, mix everything and pop it in the oven for a creamy delicious mouth watering experience!
Now since I have been making mac & cheese quite often, it doesn’t take much time for me to put it all together. I was almost done with the whole dish in less or more than two hours. Its semi healthy and that makes me want more and more of it!
I got leftovers so all I can think of its ways to zing it up and make another meal out of it!! Suggestions welcome.
Bring on the stretchy pants, it’s the season! Talking of holiday season, I am all over “House of Cards” Now!! So freaking good.
Ohh and it’s a perfect thanksgiving side too!
- I pound elbow pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3.5 cups milk (I used 2%)
- 1.5 cups water
- ½-1 tsp rosemary
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 slices of provolone cheese, shredded
- 3 slices of swiss cheese, shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 8-10 brussel sprouts, sliced thin
- 1 red onion, sliced thin
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Frozen tater tots
- Boil pasta as package directions.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Add bell peppers (all 3 kind), brussel sprouts and onions on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1tsp olive oil, salt and black pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until soft.
- In a deep pot, add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Once melted, add garlic and saute until fragrant.
- Add flour and stir it around until cooked through. Add milk and water and keep stirring until it starts to get thick. Add rosemary,salt and black pepper.Add all the cheese to the sauce and stir until it gets melted.
- Mix roasted veggies to the pasta.Add that mix to the cheese sauce and transfer it to a baking dish. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Arrange the pre-heated tater tots on the mac & cheese and bake at 400 for good 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve with lots of garlic bread!
Sometimes if you feel it's little dry to your taste, I make some extra cheese sauce like the way we did above and serve it on the side.
More Mac & Cheese Recipes:
Look at all the cheesy goodness! It has veggies in it too, so it is practically a health food 🙂
I agree Dannii!!;)
I make and adore roasted vegetable mac and cheese…but tater tots on top? Is that even allowed?!? 🙂
Haha girl we just made it legal!! Dig in!
Ok, so I’ve made lots of tater tot casseroles. And lots of spins on mac n cheese. But I’ve never considered combining the two, I love this! For the holidays and heck, for today. ANd you managed to add all those veggies too? Sheer brilliance. And just because we were hit with 4 feet of snow does not mean I’m not sending my husband out to get the missing ingredients =)
Haha best comment ever Laura!!
Wow, this is such a great spin on a classic favorite! I love that you added roasted veggies in here and with the tater tots? Oh my goodness, cheesy and comforting goodness in a bowl 🙂
Kelly you will love this!
Whoa! It’s like a BONKERS version of shepherd’s pie, kind of! That first photo is mouthwatering. I wonder what leftovers would be like cooked in a Foreman grill or waffle iron? Dang, I really want to buy tater tots when I go grocery shopping tonight.
Erin you should totally try this!!
Hi Ami, wow! what a comforting dish, very creative!
Thanks Cheri for your lovely comment!
You have a lot going on with this dish, but just seeing this is making me excited. This looks amazing. Very nice recipe
Thanks K!
Oh man look at that! So cheesy and delicious looking! And I LOVE that tator-tot topping, that’s gotta be good!
Haha you should definitely try this Christina!
This is so fun!!! Love it!
Thanks Amanda!
You are making me hungry! this looks so cheesy and so good!! Major drooling. btw totally agree with you…even if I learn to click pictures using artificial light, my no.1 favorite would still be natural light..nothing comes close!
Agreed!! Nothing comes close to natural light!
Hi, Ami! I love that you called this ‘semi healthy’! My favourite! Looks like the perfect comfort food.
Over here at the moment it’s getting dark at 4, so there’s no natural light for me at all during the week. I’m learning how to use my arificial lighting, but you’re right, I much prefer natural daylight!
Thanks Helen!
I’m with you on getting things cooked early enough to shoot. I feel like I need things photographed by no later than 3PM for the best light, and that gets tough! I’m thinking I need to try artificial light for emergency purposes. 🙂 This meal is so great — kid-friendly but with plenty of veggies! I love how you did that!
Thanks Marcie!
My kiddos would love this!! I love how “zingy” it is with the red pepper!!
Let me know if you make this Renee!
This such a great idea and a great comfort food!
Thanks!
That looks totally indulgent! It’s making me crave pasta 🙂
Haha it was really delicious! Thanks Michelle!
This looks delicious. Planning to try this out tomorrow! In your pictures, is the cheese that’s on top of the tater tots an extra cheese sauce that you made? Or did you just sprinkle some extra shredded cheese on top of it? Thanks for sharing this.
Jessica I just sprinkled some extra shredded cheese on top before baking. Do make sure you bake it just before serving time as it starts to get little dry cause the cheese sauce starts to get thick. Hope you enjoy it!
Finally made it tonight. Absolutely loved! Hubs did too. 3 yr old ate half her portion which says alot. Of course, all of her tater tots were gone. Forgot to reserve some shredded cheese for the topping which made me sad, but it was still delish! Took a pic & will Tweet it. THANKS
Tator
Good receipe
It’s looks delish!
Having been craving mac n cheese, but this is awesome. Combing cheesy goodness with veggies, smiply amazing. Never thought of tarter tops for Mac n cheese.
Will try this recipe for sure
Thank you so much for sharing this on CAL??
Awwwwwww thanks!! Hope you give it a try 🙂
Looks amazing. Going to make for Christmas Eve. I’m not a cook so what does “pre-heated” tator tots entail?
Diane this is my favorite dish! I use frozen tater tots and heat them in oven by following the package directions so they are ready to eat. Then I assemble the dish and use these pre heated tater tots! Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have any questions. Happy Holidays!
That dish looks super yummy!!! But my question is wont it go dry after sometime and cheese gets hard if not kept warm?
Please reply soon. Am planning to make this for a potluck
Hey Jay so yes I usually like to cook it right before eating or as you said cheese will get little hard and sauce thickens too. It would be nice if you can heat it up in oven at your potluck place which I am not sure will be possible or not.
If yes then I would suggest take a bag of shredded cheese along with you and just assemble the dish and take it. Bake it right there if you have a oven where ever your potluck is and then add more cheese on top and bake and serve immediately.