Mac and Cheese, Sneaky Style

As many know, I follow the Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious way of cooking: what they don't know will make them healthy!

I know, I know, naysayers. I always offer veggies and fruit (I have, like most, no problem getting my kids to eat fruit) first. And I offer them on their plate as well as an accompaniment to their meal. And half of the time, they eat them.

This system, like most, is best started off and maintained by having some pantry items around. My regulars are squash (I buy frozen cubed when I can't get fresh), canned white beans, and spinach. When I make the "white" mac and cheese, in go the white beans. I puree them in 20 seconds in my tiny-sized Cuisinart. When I make "orange" mac and cheese, in goes the squash. Cooked carrots also work for orange.

French toast: make mixture as normal, add 1/4 cup squash. Voila! You'd never know the difference.

You simply match the puree with the color of the food you are making. I add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup to mac and cheese. The white beans make for a richer flavor and squash makes it sweeter.

Now just wait for the spinach brownies. Yum!