Creamy Cheesy Pasta Casserole

If you and your little one like macaroni and cheese, then you’ll LOVE our recipe today, which is a bit of a variation on the original but is really easy to put together!

This dish is rich in calcium and is also very versatile – in the ingredients listed below, we’ve used pureed carrots – but you can stir in any puree you like, which is a great way to use up leftovers. Or you could add a handful of frozen peas, finely chopped broccoli or cauliflower florets… in fact, anything you may otherwise be having difficulty in getting your baby to eat! Suitable from 6 months onwards, this dish can be finely chopped for younger babies, but is absolutely ideal as a finger food for little ones just learning to feed themselves. It’s very soft and easy to eat and the sauce clings nicely to the pieces of pasta, giving a boost of nutrients with every bite!

We made this casserole for lunch over the weekend – and to make it more of a complete ‘meal’, we stirred in chopped cooked chicken, which was delicious! Do let us know if you come up with any interesting variations of your own!

TIP: To make this cheesy homemade baby food recipe even MORE nutritious, use whole wheat pasta instead of white and add 2 teaspoons of wheat germ to the bread crumbs.

To Make Creamy Cheesy Pasta Casserole for Baby You Will Need…

4 oz uncooked macaroni (or any pasta shape your baby likes!)
4 oz (1/2 cup) small curd cottage cheese
2 oz (1/4 cup) whole milk natural yogurt
2 oz (1/4 cup) pureed carrots
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) grated cheddar cheese
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) milk
4 tbsp whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (180 deg C).
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging until it is ‘al dente’ (slightly firm).
Drain, then transfer to a small oven-proof dish.
Add all the other ingredients (except the bread crumbs) and stir until everything is nicely mixed together.
Top with the bread crumbs, then drizzle with the melted butter.
Bake for 25 to 35 mins, until golden.
Cool and serve!

More pasta baby food recipes
More information about introducing cheese to baby