Description
A dreamy, creamy vegetable casserole with a crispy, cheesy topping. You won’t even miss the meat with these creamy mixed vegetables!
Ingredients
Scale
Casserole
- 2 cups short-cut pasta (penne, rotini, etc)
- 6–7 cups chopped mixed vegetables*
- 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups light or whole milk
- 8 oz light or full-fat cream cheese, cubed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Crispy Topping
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (Panko or fresh)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and butter a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta to al dente (6-7 minutes). Drain the pasta and set aside. Place the carrots and cauliflower in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring the water to a boil and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Drain the water and combine the cooked noodles with the tender-crisp vegetables in the casserole dish.
- Using the same pan that you used to cook the vegetables, melt the butter and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until thickened. Add in the cream cheese and whisk until the cream cheese is completely melted and the sauce is thick. Add in salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour the sauce over the vegetable and pasta mix, and stir to coat. Mix the melted butter with the fresh breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese and spread over the top of the casserole. Place in the oven for about 35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, add the remaining parmesan cheese and broil for 5 minutes. Serve.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge, for 2-3 days.
Notes
* I used a mix of broccoli, carrots and cauliflower but you could substitute with large chunks of pepper, asparagus, or squash. Anything goes!
*If using frozen vegetables, thaw first and drain any excess liquid. Skip the pre-cooking step and place right into the casserole dish along with the pasta.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: meatless
- Method: oven bake
- Cuisine: american