Easy Oven-Roasted Grape Tomatoes & Broccoli Mac ‘n Cheese

Okay, show of hands…who loves mac ‘n cheese? Me, too!!! Who loves oven-roasted veggies? Yep, me also! Now who thinks they’d make an awesome marriage?! Yay!! Me, too!!!! And yes they sure did!! Wow did they ever! Talk about taking a family classic to a higher level. The taste was phenomenal! Oven-roasting vegetables just seems to give them a boost and intensify their flavor like no tomorrow. Maybe because the excess water evaporates, who knows, all I know is that it has fast-become my favorite way to prepare them for eating alone, in combination with other things, or as in this case, in a mac ‘n cheese casserole! Tomatoes are a no-brainer when it comes to pairing them with cheese and pasta, and even broccoli, really, so why not add them both and oven-roast first for extra flavor, right? It’s just one extra step that’s so simple to do and makes your entire house smell wonderful! I experimented with some fresh broccoli that I had frozen to see if oven-roasting could revive it better than steaming, and it worked beautifully. Just as good as if I had started with fresh. So make a mental note of that!  

Our wonderful next-door neighbors brought us over a nice bag of fresh-picked grape tomatoes from their garden after we shared some of my Pumpkin Cheesecake with them. Since it’s just the two of us, I didn’t want a single one to go to waste, so I thought that roasting them was the sure way to go. I’ll freeze the rest that I didn’t use, and they’ll come in handy for just about everything from homemade pizza to paninis! Here’s a pick of them halved lengthwise, salted with kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, along with the broccoli also, all dressed and ready to go into the oven! I didn’t bother to toss them into any oil this time as I just didn’t think it really needed that much, and just sprayed the tops with a little butter-flavored cooking spray and it worked even better! I think they’ll freeze better this way, too, because it was a lot less oily. 

 

 

Aren’t they pretty? Sparkling like precious gems in the sunlight! 

 

 

Here’s the mac ‘n cheese snuggling in nice and cozy with the creamy, rich cheese sauce! I used half macaroni and half shells, 2 kinds of cheeses, added tomatoes and broccoli inside and topped with extra tomatoes! I then topped it with a soft bread crumb topping to die for!

 

 

I can honestly say, as crazy simple-easy as this is, that this is one of my favorite macaroni and cheese concoctions ever. Everything blended together so very well, my sauce couldn’t be easier to prepare and is done quickly in the microwave, and the extra boost of flavor that the veggies lent was just over-the-top, plate lickin’ good! (Believe me, I was tempted!!)

 

So keep this easy recipe handy for all those upcoming fall and winter suppers for when you need a comforting and creamy side dish to accompany anything from pork chops, to roasts, baked ham, meatloaf, fried chicken fingers or whatever your fixing that evening! (And kids might be more inclined to eat a bit of broccoli when it’s swimming in a cheesy sauce, too! 😉 ) Have a wonderful day all, and take the time to give a friend a call! It’ll brighten both of your days! 🙂

 

 

EASY OVEN-ROASTED GRAPE TOMATOES & BROCCOLI MAC ‘N CHEESE  

6 servings

 

For Oven-Roasted Veggies:

1 cup halved grape tomatoes, (*photo of tomatoes on baking sheet shows 1 1/3 pounds, but my recipe calls for only what’s needed in this dish)

1 head broccoli, cut into pieces, florets only

butter-flavored cooking spray 

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 – 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, to taste

 

For Cheese Sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup prepared Ranch Salad dressing

1/3 cup milk

8 oz. shredded mozzarella

4 oz. Velveeta cheese, diced

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

 

Rest of Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles

1 cup uncooked shells pasta

2 slices bread, crusts removed, torn into tiny pieces (or slightly rounded cup lightly packed)

2 Tbl. melted butter

1 Tbl. fresh chopped parsley, or one rounded tsp. dried

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/16 tsp. salt

a few pieces of roasted broccoli and tomatoes for garnish if desired

 

DIRECTIONS:

For roasted veggies:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise and cut up broccoli, florets only, into small bite-sized pieces. Place all onto prepared baking sheet with tomatoes facing cut side-up. Spray all with butter-flavored cooking spray, (just the top sides is all it needs). Sprinkle tops evenly with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Pop into oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn broccoli over, bake for 15 more minutes and remove broccoli to a plate. Pop tomatoes back into oven and continue baking for another 2 hours.

 

For cheese sauce:

In large microwave-safe bowl, stir together well the chicken soup (undiluted), Ranch dressing, milk, cheeses, mustard and garlic powder. Nuke on medium heat until melted and creamy, stirring well after each minute to prevent edges from scorching. When done, just leave it in there to keep warm until the pasta is done and drained.

While heating the sauce, set a pot or large saucepan of hot water on the stove to boil. When sauce is done, boil the pastas according to the package directions using the shortest time allotted. Drain well. Stir into bowl of sauce. Fold in roasted broccoli saving a couple of slices aside if desired, and 1/2 cup of the roasted grape tomatoes. 

 

For Topping:

In small saucepan, melt butter with parsley, paprika and salt. Stir in soft torn bread crumbs until all are coated.

 

To Assemble and Bake:

Spray a deep 2 1/2 qt. casserole dish with butter-flavored cooking spray, pour and spoon in mac ‘n cheese mixture. Top with extra grape tomatoes saving aside a couple for garnish if desired. Top evenly with bread crumb topping. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes until bubbly and topping is lightly browned. Garnish with extra roasted tomatoes and broccoli if desired. Let rest a few minutes, uncovered, before serving.