Recipes for Free: Mushroom & Broccoli Macaroni w/Cheese Sauce

Interestingly enough this recipe happened by happenstance. It was born out of a splurging session I had last Sunday. I was craving something salty, crunchy, and unhealthy. I was also feeling lazy so I threw a few waffle fries into the oven to crisp. To add insult to injury I wanted them drenched in cheese sauce. So I ransacked my parents fridge pulled out a few slices of American cheese, a cup of rice milk, a little grated parmesan, and bleu cheese crumbles. Unfortunately a cup of milk made my cheese sauce too thin and I ended up with quite a bit left over. This left over thin cheese sauce became the base for Monday night’s dinner and this quick skillet Mushroom & Broccoli Macaroni w/Cheese Sauce was born. This dinner is super quick to assemble and can be modified to your liking to feed a larger crowd, be cheesier, or be however else you’d like it. The best meals are the ones that come to you out of the blue and on the spot.

Mushroom & Broccoli Macaroni w/Cheese Sauce
1 cup gluten free pasta (macaroni)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 stalks diced green onion
2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons earth balance
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
pinch of sea salt and cracked black pepper

cheese sauce
1 cup dairy or non dairy milk
2 tablespoons bleu cheese
1/4  cup parmesan cheese
4 slices American cheese

1. Bring 4 cups water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add dry pasta, a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil. Reduce heat to low-medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to low-medium add garlic, green onions, and sliced mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are tender about 10 minutes. Pour in milk, bleu cheese, american cheese, and parmesan. Add red pepper, sea salt, onion powder and cracked black pepper. Stir constantly until well combined and a creamy cheese sauce forms. Add earth balance and fold in pasta. Turn off heat add broccoli and cover for 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of extra parmesan cheese.