Baked Couscous with Cheese and Veggies

This my my twist on baked macaroni and cheese. It is a vegetarian dish but I swapped out macaroni for whole wheat Isreali couscous and added twice as manny veggie as couscous to make it a little on the lighter side. I also left butter out of my recipe. This is a great side dish for a hearty fall or winter meal.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked Isreali whole wheat couscous (follow the instructions on the box)
2 cups asparagus steamed and chopped small
2 cups broccoli steamed and chopped small
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 of one onion chopped small
4 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 tsp of salt to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pinch of crushed of red pepper
1/2 cup of coconut milk (or soy milk or regular milk)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese or 3 wedges of laughing cow cheese
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
1 cup of sharp white cheddar shredded
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Cook couscous and steam veggies in separate pans while you make bechamel sauce. In a large pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil on medium for about 8 minutes till onions have softened. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to low and add milk, nutmeg and mascarpone cheese stirring until cheese and milk have come together then add parmesan, monterey jack cheese and sharp white cheddar leaving a small amount to top the dish. Once sauce has come together stir in cooked couscous and steamed broccoli and asparagus. Stir everything together well and pour into a medium size casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs, remaining cheese and a little drizzle of olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Yield 6-8 servings