Healthy Mac and Cheese
23 Mar
Healthy Mac and Cheese is an amazing recipe! Honestly, I think it is the best macaroni and cheese you can make with great flavor, but a fraction of the fat and calories of the old fashioned kind. This is a true comfort food. Just remember to taste it for proper seasoning, and don’t overdo it.
When I first read the ingredients for Healthy Mac and Cheese I was a little hesitant. Mainly due to the inclusion of butternut squash in the recipe. The more I thought about it though, I realized what an ingenious idea it was. Butternut squash by itself has a very light flavor, and you can really add whatever ingredients you want to it, sweet or savory. Using a pureed butternut squash in Healthy Mac and Cheese allows you to cut down on the amount of cheese you use and lets you make an awesome macaroni without the use of butter, and still have it taste just like the original. To make this recipe quick and simple, use pureed frozen butternut squash, thawed. I had a hard time finding frozen squash for some reason. If you cannot find frozen butternut squash, you can buy it fresh from the produce section, cooking and pureeing yourself. Takes a little more time, but tastes just as great.
Give this Healthy Mac and Cheese a try, I promise you, you’ll never go back to the fatty original.
Recipe: Healthy Mac and Cheese
Summary: Healthy Mac and Cheese is an amazing recipe! Honestly, I think it is the best macaroni and cheese you can make with great flavor, but a fraction of the fat and calories of the old fashioned kind.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole wheat elbow macaroni or mini pasta shells
- 1 cup reduced fat milk or soy milk
- 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup frozen butternut squash, thawed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or a few dashes of Tabasco sauce
- Flavored croutons, crushed or whole wheat bread crumbs
- Reduced fat Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Boil pasta in salted water until slightly firm, according to package directions.
- In another saucepan, combine the milk, Parmesan, cheddar, and butternut squash over medium heat until melted and combined. Turn off heat. Add salt, dry mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder or Tabasco.
- Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it. Add it to the cheese sauce (use a large bowl if necessary) and toss to coat the pasta. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed.
- Spray a shallow baking pan with cooking spray and put the pasta-cheese mixture in it. Sprinkle with enough crushed croutons to nicely cover the top of the pasta and a few tablespoons of Monterey jack cheese, or to your liking.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Variations
Use seasonings per your reference. Just be careful not to overdue it!
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Culinary tradition: USA (Traditional)
Rating
Copyright © The Hungry Wife.
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