Veg Au Gratin Recipe Baked Macaroni Casserole

This baked casserole recipe is something both my Aunts are especially good at making. When I was a kid I was a really fussy eater! This was one way, I used to have so many vegetables all at once.  The recipe is very easy to make and it is a great party hit. Whenever my aunt has called someone home, she has made this and served it along with garlic bread. The combination is divine. It is a longer recipe, I’ve divided it into 4 sections. The first is the bread crumbs, next boiling the spinach and veggies, next making the white sauce or béchamel or Alfredo sauce, followed by cooking the pasta and lastly assembling the dish to go into the oven.  You can pick your veggies for this recipe, these are the veggies I like the most, so I added them. The spinach can be replaced by any other fresh herb as well, such as Basil, Oregano.  My secret 🤫 ingredient for this recipe is, Maggie Magic Masala. Par boiling the veggies in it, gives it another taste. Adding some of the cooked water with the sauce, gives it a more deep taste.  Do not skimp on the cheese, whatever cheese you like you can add it, but do not miss the mozzarella cheese. I’ve added Parmesan, Cheddar and Mozzarella. This is one of those recipes, if you have a microwave oven, you can make it too! [recipe_card]

Veg Au Gratin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 5 slices of bread
  • 25 spinach leaves cleaned and cut
  • 1 potato cubed
  • 12 French beans cut
  • 2 carrots cut
  • 1/4 cup frozen peas
  • 1/4 cup frozen corn
  • 1 litre of water to cook veggies
  • 1 packet Maggie Magic Masala
  • 250 grams of Elbow Macaroni
  • 4 tablespoons of maida or all purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Half a grated nutmeg
  • Salt per taste
  • 1 cube of cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 100 grams of mozzarella

Instructions
 

Method

    Steps to make Veg Au Gratin or Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

    • In a pan add 2 tablespoons of butter, add 5 slices of Bread with crust
    • Roast till turns to golden brown and crumbles,
    • Next in a vessel boil water
    • A and dd 25 cleaned and cut spinach leaves
    • Cook for around 4-5 minutes, drain the water and keep aside
    • Next add around a litre of water, after it is warm
    • Add 1 cut potato and 12 cut green beans
    • Add 1 packet Maggie Magic Masala
    • Boil for 5 minutes
    • Next add 1/4 cup frozen corn and green peas and 2 cut carrots
    • Par boil for around 5 minutes
    • Drain the water to another bowl and strain the veggies
    • Next in a pan or kadai add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
    • Let it melt, add 4 tablespoons of sifted Maida or All Purpose Flour and mix
    • Just when it starts to bubble switch the flame off and 3 cups of warm milk
    • Keep stirring it, Next add half a grated nutmeg or jaikai
    • Next add 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper, keep stirring
    • Add salt per taste and mix
    • After 5 minutes, add 1 grated cube of cheddar cheese
    • Let it thicken, keep stirring
    • Add 1-2 ladles of the vegetable stock, stir it and keep aside
    • Pre heat oven to 200C for 20 minutes
    • Boil the pasta per packet instructions, I used MTRs Macaroni
    • I used about 250 grams for this recipe
    • Next you need drain it and keep aside
    • I’ve used 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 100 grams of Mozzarella cheese
    • Keep all your prepped ingredients ready
    • Butter the casserole dish
    • Add a layer of spinach, add some veggies and add the cooked macaroni,
    • Add the sauce evenly, over the dish
    • Add 1 last layer of Spinach
    • Add cheese I have used 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 100 grams of Mozzarella cheese
    • Repeat the process, the last layer add some bread crumbs and some more mozzarella on top
    • Bake in an oven at 200C for 20 minutes
    • Let it cool for 10 minutes
    • The dish is now ready to serve!
    • Enjoy it hot! This recipe serves 6