I recently received a box of Veggie Mac & Cheese varieties from Mann’s Packing. There were 4 different flavors in the box for me to try. I prepared the Fiesta Mac & Cheese as the package directed, but decided to give the Classic Cheese a little Farmgirl twist. The end result was a quick side dish that the whole family enjoyed.
If you haven’t heard of Mann’s before, they are a family owned vegetable packing company located in the beautiful, sunny California. Here’s a little about their mission and vision:
Our mission: Fresh Vegetables Made Easy.™
Our values:
Honor: where we come from matters
Passion: for excellence in everything we do
Quality: people, products and service
Vision: always innovating for the futureWe value the world in which we work and live. We support our local schools and donate generously to a number of charitable organizations in our community and throughout our industry.
There latest products are the “Kid-Friendly Veggie Mac & Cheese” varieties. Having 2 kids….I can attest to the friendliness. Both of mine were happy to eat it – including the veggies.
A side note before we get to this super easy recipe. Mann’s did not ask me to post about their product. They were kind enough to send me product without any mentions of me posting about them. All opinions stated in this post are my own and priceless. The end. Now here’s the recipe. And hey…thanks for reading.
An easy baked gratin side dish using Mann's Veggie Mac & Cheese kit.
Ingredients
- 1 package Mann's Veggie Mac & Cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 large mushrooms, cleaned & cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes, just until beginning to brown. Add the broccoli from the mac & cheese package and saute for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and add the pasta from the pouch and the cheese sauce. Stir to combine with the mushrooms and broccoli. Add to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with panko.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.
This looks just lovely. I am a big fan of vegetables and cheese.
I love adding veggies to our mac n cheese.
I love your little Farmgirl twist, Heather. 😉 Beautiful gratin!
This definitely looks like a mac I need to try! I love the idea of jazzing up boxed mac to make it even better and give it your own twist.
Oh my, I could totally dive into that — yum!
This looks so good! and healthy!
I love Mann’s veggies! This is a great dish, Heather!
The colors in this dish are beautiful! I am a big fan of mac & cheese and love this veggie version. I am going to have to pin this and try it out.
Awee..yes, yes I want that bowl please!
This looks fantastic.
Delicious. As a side dish or a main dish! 🙂
This looks so wonderful! I have just come to love gratins recently and I want them all the time!