Quinoa Mac 'n Cheese

This recipe is one of the many ways I celebrated my 20th birthday, and let me tell you, it's the gift that keeps on giving...

Mostly because I made a full recipe and, well, there's only one of me.

I mean, a girl can only eat so much cheese in a day!

SO.

This recipe rocks for many reasons:

1. It reinvents the classic "Om nom nom mac n' cheese with tons of butter!"
2. It is relatively healthy.
3. It tastes like my childhood.
4. It's preeeeeetty easy to make.
5. It will fool your friends and children. Guaranteed.

I came upon this recipe on a great blog, Around the Table.

The link to the recipe is here.

I made mine with sauteed yellow onion, and I went heavy on the garlic. I even added a little bit of reduced sodium Soy Sauce to the sauteed vegetables instead of adding salt. Check this puppy out...

GET IN MY BELLY. NOW.

There are tons of ways to mix up this recipe:

• Before baking, sprinkle your mac n' cheese with flax seeds, chia seeds, or sesame seeds... or mix them into the batter!
• For an added punch, season it with ground mustard.
• Serve it with leafy greens on the side - the enzymes in the greens will help you digest the cheese (especially if you're lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive!).
• Mix in tons of veggies - onion is a must, but try spinach or kale (chopped finely).
• Try a different kind of cheese, or do half of one type and half of another.
• Add red pepper for a bite! I sprinkled some on top of mine and it completely changed the flavor (in an awesome, south-of-the-border kind of way).

Let me know what you try and how it tasted!

Best,

Kelsie