Well Cooked: Chickpea Avocado Mac and Cheese

Have you ever come across a recipe that was so out of your comfort zone that you didn’t know if you should try making it or not? I’m not exactly talking about making your own butter or anything. What I’m referring to is changing a classic recipe…. Like mac and cheese! Who would ever want to change mac and cheese? It’s perfect just the way it is! 

I have friends ask me all the time to show them how to choose healthier options, how to meal prep, how to incorporate avocado into their meals, the list goes on. A way I feel like I can help people who aren’t as comfortable in the kitchen is by doing cooking videos! 

In my first cooking video below, my sister and I make an avocado mac and cheese that I came across on Pinterest. I thought this would be the perfect recipe to kick off this new chapter for Well Said because everyone loves mac and cheese. We're calling it Well Cooked! Here I will be making my own healthier option changes to the recipe like using chickpea pasta instead of regular elbow macaroni. This recipe is a healthier alternative to Kraft Mac and Cheese. 

These videos will be about making food but they will also be very laid back, fun, cringy, and hopefully helpful. I can promise that they will not be like the beautiful cooking videos you see from Delish or Tasty. These videos are a way to get to know each other a little bit more, laugh, and try something new! 

Let’s get into the recipe...

Ingredients

• 10 ounces dry elbow macaroni

•  2 cloves garlic minced

•  2 avocados peeled and pitted

•  2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

•  1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

•  2 tablespoons butter

•  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

•  1 cup milk

•  2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

•  Salt and pepper to taste

•  Fresh avocado chunks for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water and add in macaroni. Stir and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the avocado sauce by placing the garlic, avocados, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3. To make the cheese sauce, place butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When butter is melted, whisk in flour to create a paste. Whisk in milk until smooth. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sauce starts to thicken. Add in Pepper Jack cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.

4. Place macaroni in a large bowl. Pour the avocado sauce over the macaroni and stir until well coated. Add the cheese sauce and stir until macaroni is coated and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh avocado chunks, if desired.

5. Note-the lime juice keeps the avocado from browning. The mac and cheese is best eaten on the first day, but it is still good the second day. The pasta may turn slightly brown, but not bad. If you want a milder flavor, you can use Monterey Jack or White Cheddar Cheese.

The ingredients that I made changes to were:

Elbow macaroni to chickpea pasta

Butter to vegan butter

All-purpose flour to almond flour

Regular salt to Pink Himalayan salt

Benefits of This Meal

I chose to use chickpea pasta because of the protein and fiber. Chickpeas may help aid digestion, help weight management, and may help in reducing the risk for many diseases. 

Pink Himalayan salt, as I say in the video, contains electrolytes which are minerals that keep our cells, tissues, and fluids active and communicate with our bodies. Pink Himalayan salt also can help regulate blood sugar and improve sleep quality. 

Avocados are loaded with fiber, healthy fats, potassium, and so much more. Fiber helps reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. 

I hope you enjoy this very first cooking video. Tell me what recipes you would like me to try for the next one! Comment below, email, or dm me! I can’t wait to hear what you have for me!!