• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Follow Us

Carrot Created with Sketch.
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • Start Here
    • About WWL
    • Press
  • Recipes
    • Top Rated
    • Baked Goods
    • Beef
    • Breakfast Meal Preps
    • College Friendly
    • Freezer Friendly
    • Gluten-Free
    • Kid-Friendly
    • No Reheat Meals
    • One Pot Meals
    • Pantry Meals
    • Poultry
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Snacks
    • Soup
    • Under 30 Minutes
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Wraps & Sandwiches
  • Blog
    • Meal Prep Pro Tips
    • Cooking For Two (Or More)
    • Intuitive Eating
    • Healthy Habits
    • Kitchen & Meal Prep Essentials
    • Recipe Roundups
    • Save Money
    • Save Time
    • Sustainable Meal Prep
  • Member’s Area
  • Join The Team
    • WWL Program Recipe Submission!
    • The WWL Team

Roasted Cauliflower, Zucchini & Red Bell Pepper Mac N’ Cheese (Vegetarian)

June 20, 2019 by Talia Koren Leave a Comment

Bliss. You get bliss. Ready to try?

Jump to the recipe!

This recipe takes a little bit longer to make compared to other ones on WWL recipes, but I promise it’s worth it.

The main ingredients are cauliflower, zucchini, bell pepper, pasta, cheese and milk. Flour and butter are involved too.

Let’s talk about what you can change!

What's In This Post

  • Other veggies that will work for this mac n’ cheese recipe
  • What pasta to use
  • Want to add more protein?
  • Cheese suggestions:
  • How to add more volume or double this recipe.
  • Storage & reheating notes:
  • Roasted Cauliflower, Zucchini & Red Bell Pepper Mac N’ Cheese (Vegetarian)

Other veggies that will work for this mac n’ cheese recipe

We want to focus on veggies that will roast well (which includes most of them). Here are some ideas for veggies you could roast for this recipe if you’re not into cauliflower, zucchini and/or red bell pepper.

  • Asparagus
  • Broccoli
  • Green beans
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Cabbage
  • Summer squash
  • Butternut squash
  • Pumpkin
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Eggplant
  • Sweet potato
  • Mushrooms
  • Jalapeno
  • Onions of all colors
  • Carrots

And here’s a great cheat sheet for how long to roast different vegetables.

Pro tip: if you’re in a rush, go for zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms and onions — vegetables that could be good to go after 15 minutes in the oven.

What pasta to use

So this recipe doesn’t have a “direct” protein source, but I promise it’s still super satisfying and will keep you full for awhile. That being said, you can totally use protein pasta, like Banza chickpea pasta, to round it out a little bit more.

Any “short” pasta will work. Penne, macaroni elbows, rotini, ziti, bowtie pasta etc.

Use gluten-free if needed!

Want to add more protein?

If you know you’ll feel better with a direct source of protein in this meal, here are some suggestions:

  1. While you’re at it, roast the chicken breasts in the oven with the veggies! Then you can cut or shred them up and mix chicken breast into your mac n’ cheese.
  2. You can use protein pasta (as I mentioned above).
  3. You can cook ground meat or “meat” crumbles on the side and mix them into the mac.
  4. Or cook chicken sausage/veggie sausage to add to the mac.
  5. Add chickpeas or white beans to the mac for extra plant-based protein.
  6. If you’re feeling confident, you can blend your cheese sauce with soft/medium tofu in a blender or food processor to add protein to your cheese sauce. Just make sure to add extra salt!

Cheese suggestions:

I’m all about giving you the space to make the executive culinary decisions on your own, so go with your gut when it comes to the cheese.

You can’t go wrong with cheddar. But mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterey jack, Mexican cheese blends and even a mix of your favorite cheeses would also work!

Choose based on what sounds good, what you have available and/or what’s most affordable.

Pro tip: cheese blocks are always cheaper than pre-shredded cheese. Just grate it at home!

I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

How to add more volume or double this recipe.

To double this recipe, simply double the ingredients! It’s okay if your sheet pans are a little crowded since the veggies are going in the mac anyway. You may need to use two baking dishes or one gigantic baking dish.

To add more volume, I would add another veggie and/or a protein source mentioned above. I think ground meat or chicken/veg sausage or beans (chickpeas or white beans) would be easiest.

Storage & reheating notes:

This roasted veggie mac n’ cheese can last for up to 5 days in the fridge. It’s freezer friendly for 3-6 months. Ideally, reheat it in the microwave, in the oven or on the stove! We reheated a frozen mac n’ cheese on the stove the other day and it turned out fine.

Happy prepping!

Top Rated

Roasted Cauliflower, Zucchini & Red Bell Pepper Mac N' Cheese (Vegetarian)

Rating
4.7 from 33 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Servings 3 meals

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head cauliflower chopped into florets
  • 1 zucchini chopped into quarters
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped into strips
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 oz short pasta of your choice (I used Banza Chickpea Pasta)
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 cups milk of your choice add more if needed
  • 8 oz shredded cheese of your choice
  • cooking spray
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup bread crumbs optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F
  • In a bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 1 TBSP olive oil and salt and pepper to taste (at least 1/2 tsp salt). Pour the seasoned cauliflower on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 25 minutes, shaking the pan/rotating the cauliflower halfway through.
  • In the same bowl, toss the zucchini and red bell pepper with the remaining 1 TBSP olive oil, and more salt and pepper to taste. Pour the zucchini and red bell pepper on a second baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Cook the pasta according to the package. *If you're using Banza chickpea pasta, check the pasta a few minutes early and make sure to rinse with cold water when it's done for best results.
  • Meanwhile, add the butter to a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour. Stir until well combined (it will be a thick mixture). Then, raise the heat a bit and slowly add the milk in batches. Bring it to a low boil, whisking frequently. Then add the shredded cheese and stir until the cheese has fully melted. Remove from the heat.
  • Spray a baking dish (medium-sized like 9x9 or 8x11) with cooking spray. Add the pasta, mac and cheese sauce and roasted veggies, then mix it all together in the baking dish (this is the easiest way to cut down on clean up). Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese if using. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. When it's done, let it cool a little before slicing into thirds and dividing it between three meal prep containers.

Filed Under: Best Of Workweek Lunch, Top Rated, Vegetarian Tagged With: mac n cheese, pasta bake

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Share this article

Primary Sidebar

Get weekly meal prep tips from me!

workweeklunch

Workweek Lunch | Talia Koren
Reminder: self care and preparation come in a lot Reminder: self care and preparation come in a lot of different forms. ✏️
.
🌯Meal prep is one of them, but it’s not realistic or best for every person. If it’s not for you or you don’t have time, here are some other ways to set yourself up for enduring LESS STRESS every week. Don’t try to do them all - just pick one or two.
.
❓What did I miss on this list? Share below!
.
👉🏼And if you DO want to batch cook, but get overwhelmed with planning and finding good recipes, we got you! Sign up in my bio link to get pre-made meal plans, grocery lists and tons of meal prep tested recipes. You can customize everything (this is not about restriction or weight loss - it’s about being practical and eating yummy food!). We offer a free 7 day trial when you sign up!
Have you ever tried a produce box subscription? Sh Have you ever tried a produce box subscription? Share your experience with us in the comments! Here’s mine 👇🏼
.
I started using @pacificcoastharvest a month ago after randomly seeing the boxes sitting in a local coffee shop!
.
The cost is $30 per box (I know it doesn’t look like a lot) BUT you can control what’s in your box and how much you want to spend. That’s one thing I really like about this box. I can choose the produce I want every week and I’ve been using this to supplement weekend cooking and some meal prep. I’m able to stretch some of the ingredients for weeks (root veggies, apples).
.
If I couldn’t choose what’s in the box, it would be pretty tough for me. But so far I’ve used and loved all the produce (and some other items like coffee, hot sauce and cheese) and am excited to keep branching out!
.
Since using this box I’ve had purple Brussels, watermelon radish, gold beets, local apples, satsumas, purple yams, turnips and more. I can’t wait to try lemongrass from this week’s box. For me, someone who cooks a lot and can spend a little extra on this stuff, it’s worth it. With this weekly box, our regular grocery costs have decreased too. I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts below!
.
This isn’t an ad btw! Just really enjoying Pacific Coast Harvest and happy I stumbled upon their boxes recently.
Pancake pros! What are your BEST tips for making p Pancake pros! What are your BEST tips for making perfect pancakes? Share below! 🥞
.
❓And if you absolutely wouldn’t describe yourself as a pancake pro, what are your pancake struggles?
.
🤔I’ve been getting a lot of pancake questions lately in DMs and in our private WWL Program Facebook group (the most incredible food community on FB!) and I want to make a video with the best tried and true tips for expert level pancakes.
.
🥞Pancakes are one of our favorite breakfasts for meal prep! They reheat great in the microwave, toaster or on the stove and there are SO MANY flavor combinations to try.
.
🙌🏼We have several pancake recipes in the WWL Program - matcha, lemon blueberry, chocolate chip cherry and pumpkin to name a few. In this photo we have our favorite banana pancake recipe. Sign up for the WWL Program in my bio link to get access to all our breakfast meal prep recipes and more!
You’re not a doughnut or a piece of zucchini bre You’re not a doughnut or a piece of zucchini bread. You’re a human who needs food and nourishment to show up at their best in this world. 💕
.
MEALS:
.
Zucchini carrot “confetti” bread - coming to WWL soon
.
Chickpea Greek salad wraps - dropped in the WWL Program yesterday
.
Mongolian-inspired beef - coming to WWL soon
.
Sprinkled doughnut from @mightyodonuts 🍩
.
Grab our recipes, non-diet meal plans and grocery lists  when you sign up for the WWL Program in my bio link!
QUICK MEAL PREP TIPS . 👉🏼Choose meals you ca QUICK MEAL PREP TIPS
.
👉🏼Choose meals you can easily multitask - like cooking one meal on the stove while you cook something else in the oven or another appliance (slow cooker, Instant Pot)
.
👉🏼Opt for rotisserie chicken or low maintenance proteins like hard boiled eggs to cut down time in the kitchen
.
👉🏼Pre-cut veggies can also save you tons of time, but they’re more expensive! If that’s out of your budget, consider doing all your chopping 1 day before you prep and assemble meals
.
👉🏼Never meal plan, shop and cook on the same day. I like to meal plan on Friday, shop on Saturday and cook on Sunday.
.
👉🏼Meals like overnight oats, smoothies, skillets, one-pot pastas and salad wraps are reliably fast!
.
🙌🏼All the meals pictured (except the parfaits) are featured in this week’s new WWL meal plan for members of the WWL Program! Grab this plan + all our recipes and custom meal planning tools when you sign up in my bio link! We offer a 7-day free trial, then it’s just $9.99/mo (or less when you sign up for 6-12 months) to keep meal prepping with our plans, recipes and community.
I like to say all good things start with a spreads I like to say all good things start with a spreadsheet 🤓including affordable, delicious meal preps!
.
Save this post for next time you need a quick reminder of how to make simple meal plans you’ll actually stick to!
.
👩🏻‍🍳There’s no way I could pull off these meal preps week after week (for years and years) without solid planning. It’s something I do every Friday, the day before I shop and 2 days before I prep.
.
😅Do you have to make your meal plan on a spreadsheet? No! You can do it in your notes app, on paper, on a white board, with apps or services like WWL Program - however works for you. I use excel because everything I plan isn’t in the WWL Program yet 😜
.
👈🏼Swipe to the last slide for my simple 3 steps to making a meal plan.
.
💕Of course there’s an intuitive eating approach to this: I don’t follow the plan exactly during the week. Meaning I might it eat my chickpea wraps for dinner instead of lunch one day. The point of filling in the grid is to make sure I have the meals I want to plan for covered. When life gets randomly crazy, it’s ok if the plan goes out the window.  Of course these days, it’s pretty slow and steady 😂
.
If you need help@with meal planning or just hate sitting down to do it, we can help. The WWL Program has some awesome planning tools that help you feel organized AND it automatically makes a grocery list for you based on the meals you choose for the week.  Sign up for a free trial in my bio link! After your free week, it’s $9.99/mo.
.
👇🏼What’s your meal planning medium these days? Excel? Pen and paper? Our Program? Share in the comments!!
.
.
.
.
RECIPES: “confetti” bread, chickpea Greek salad wraps and Mongolian-inspired ground beef and broccoli are all coming to the WWL Program for members soon!
Chopped Greek salad, a love story💕 . 🥬I used Chopped Greek salad, a love story💕
.
🥬I used to buy a big chopped Greek salad at a takeout place called Così a few times per week. I’ll be honest, it’s mostly because the bread they served with the salad was amazing and it was a $7.50 lunch for me. When I started meal prepping, OBVIOUSLY Greek salad was something I tried to make often, but always failed. It was just soooo soggy and sad.
.
🍅Eventually, with practice, I figured it out. The key is using fresh herbs, a good dressing and ditching lettuce altogether or keeping it on the side to add before eating. And bundling the salad up in a wrap makes it easier to eat and take on the go.
.
🌯This salad (with a chicken version) and wrap is dropping on Wednesday in the WWL Program in our brand new MINIMAL COOKING meal plan! That’s right. The veg version of this requires no heat/appliances. And the omnivore version only has you quickly cooking chicken!
.
👉🏼To get this recipe and plan when it drops, head over to my bio link to sign up for the WWL Program! We share a new plan and recipes every week so you never get bored.
.
Chicken wrap photo credit: @pinkleme and credit to my partner for holding the spoon in the action shots 😂
Since I have a bunch of new folks here - welcome! Since I have a bunch of new folks here - welcome! I’m Talia and here’s what you need to know about Workweek Lunch👇🏼
.
👉🏼WWL is a meal plan subscription with thousands of members all over the world and resource for all things meal prep, meal planning and practical cooking *without* a side of diet culture. We don’t share calorie/nutrition info, we don’t talk about weight loss tips or restriction of any kind (see my intuitive eating story highlight for more info). I’m not here to tell you what to eat, how much or how often. 🤗 I’m here to help make it *easier* for you to eat however makes you feel your best.
.
👩🏻‍🍳I don’t have a formal background in cooking or dietetics. I’m just really organized and have a lot of cooking experience! Meal planning and prepping has always come easily to me and I love helping others.
.
💸I started meal prepping right after graduating college to save money living in NYC! And because I wanted to restrict food to be the smallest version of myself. 😣 My first kitchen was tiny, had no working oven and had a bug issue (that’s NYC for you) but I still got meal prep done and managed to save enough for an emergency fund and some snowboarding trips!
.
🤘🏼Now I meal prep because it’s the only way for me to work as much as I want to during the week and helps me have more mental energy for important decisions. Can’t say we are saving money at this point because our cost of living has been pretty low for years thanks to our meal prep routine. And I no longer use meal prep as a tool to force my body to be a size it wasn’t meant to be.
.
👩🏻‍💻Workweek Lunch is my full time job. We have an amazing team of 5 (3 of us are full time) and I LOVE what I do.
.
🏔Other basics: I’m 28, I live with my partner in Seattle and I love hiking, snowboarding, camping and solo travel.
.
❓how can I help? Tell me what you’re looking forward to seeing here on my feed! And stay tuned in stories for today’s #mealprepsunday sesh.
I used to have so many food rules that made me fee I used to have so many food rules that made me feel tired, irritable and constantly guilty for breaking them. 😪
.
🤦🏻‍♀️One of them involved not eating after a certain time (and ignoring hunger). Another involved avoiding anything made with flour, sugar, butter etc. I had so many of them... and for what?
.
🤷🏻‍♀️They didn’t make me “healthier” (read: thinner) they just made me stressed out and distracted from what’s REALLY important.
.
👀Some people will look at this photo and only see the foods they don’t allow themselves to eat, or foods they deem “unhealthy” and that’s ok.
.
👁And some people will see what I see - variety. And that’s what makes me feel my best!
.
😍This is pretty much what I eat as an intuitive eater although it changes every day. I always have the option to eat snacks. I almost always eat food after dinner (when I’m hungry!). And every day I eat something home cooked because that’s just my lifestyle (and that’s where meal prep fits in). I eat packaged foods every day too... and feel physically way better than when I tried to avoid them.
.
🤘🏼If you’re new to intuitive eating and want to learn more, check out my story highlights! I have a whole highlight about it. 
.
👩🏻‍🍳RECIPES for the blender muffins, sheet pan salmon meal and green rice burrito bowl are in the WWL Program! Learn more and hop on a free trial in my bio link!
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Chicken Created with Sketch.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
Privacy Policy

Workweek Lunch. All rights reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior permission of Workweek Lunch.