The Foodie Affair

Tortellini Mac and Cheese

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Homemade Tortellini Mac and Cheese with a creamy sauce and topped with riced cauliflower. 

 

Tortellini Mac and Cheese - The Foodie Affair

 

Anytime you think about macaroni and cheese do those little blue boxes pop in your mind? It does for me! In fact, it brings me back to when I was living on my own for the first time, which btw, happened to be a whole mile or so from where my parents lived.

But hey, I was an adult in my early twenties paying my own rent, utilities, gas, and such. Whatever few bucks were left would go towards groceries.

Cooking wasn’t my thing back then. I ate whatever was cheap like tuna, Top Ramen and Kraft Mac and cheese (powdered cheese). Talk about convenience and yeah, did I mention CHEAP?!

 

Tortellini Mac and Cheese - The Foodie Affair

 

I continued to add that blue box to my grocery list even after I earned a steady paycheck and could afford different options.

It was a staple in our pantry for a very long time, and when we started a family, our kid’s had too many meals to count with that type of mac and cheese! Sometimes Kraft would shape the pasta out of cute cartoon or movie characters depending on what happened to be popular at the time.

During those early child rearing years I started to cook more. Really cook! I would still use convenience foods (as I do now), but products like the pre-packaged powdered cheese was replaced with real cheese, milk, flour and butter.

Easy. Quick. Real Food!

This mac and cheese dish has a twist to it. Veggies are throughout the casserole. I used spinach and cheese tortellini and instead of topping the casserole with breadcrumbs, I riced some cauliflower and used it as the topping. Next time I think I’ll add the whole head of cauliflower. I loved the veggie topping!

 

Tortellini Mac and Cheese - The Foodie Affair

 

Tortellini Mac and Cheese - The Foodie Affair

Tortellini Mac and Cheese

Yield: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 16 ounce pkg Tortellini (fresh, frozen or dried, I used fresh spinach and cheese)

CHEESE SAUCE

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt and pepper to taste

TOPPING

  • 1/2 head cauliflower, riced

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7 1/2 x 11 1/2 casserole dish with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
  • Cook tortellini in boiling water according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside.
  • For cauliflower topping, cut cauliflower in pieces and put in a food processor or blender. Pulverize until it resembles rice. Steam until softened or microwave on hight for 3 minutes. Set aside.
  • In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until incorporated. Add milk slowly and continue to whisk as it begins to thicken (approximately 5 minutes). Add cheese and stir until melted and sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in tortellini into cheese sauce and put in prepared casserole dish. Add riced cauliflower to the top of the casserole and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Broil for 1 minute to crisp up the cauliflower topping.

    • Notes

    You don't want the tortellini too soft, so if the directions give you a range of time, cook at the minimum. It will continue to cook in the oven.

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    © Sandra @ The Foodie Affair
    Category: Main Dish, Pasta

     

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    3. [email protected] Tastes Good

      Loving the cauliflower addition! We were in a hotel room recently and my daughter had some of those individual mac and cheese microwave cups, so we tried one and oh my goodness I couldn’t eat it! It was horrible! Real mac and cheese is just too good and too easy!!

      Reply

    6. Nicole Neverman

      I adore tortellini but I have never thought do do it as a mac and cheese! – another favorite! Your cheese sauce recipe is really great. Nice and simple and not over-complicated. I love the riced cauliflower topping. What a great touch 🙂

      Reply

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