Community Health Charities of Florida- February 2012

Recipe

Healthier Mac ‘n Cheese

Eating a heart-healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods. Put the fattening box mix away and try this healthier version of Mac 'n Cheese, one of the most popular comfort foods out there.

 

Nutritional Facts

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Calories 185

Carbohydrates 26 g

Protein 10 g

Fat 4.5 g

Saturated Fat 2.3 g

Cholesterol 10 mg

Sodium 300 mg

Dietary Fiber 1 g

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups 1% milk, divided *can this be skim?

¼ cup half-and-half

½ large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

5 whole peppercorns

12 ounces elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon dry mustard

1 ½ cups finely shredded reduced-fat extra sharp cheddar cheese (white or yellow)

1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Topping ingredients:

¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs (preferably made from Italian bread, but whole wheat bread is fine)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 375⁰ F. Coat an 8x8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2.     In heavy bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine 2 cups milk, half-and-half, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a light boil, lower the heat and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes to allow the onion and spices to infuse into the milk. Using a strainer, strain the infused milk from the onion and spices and return the strained milk to the saucepan.

3.     While the milk is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook for 4-5 minutes. (This is less time than the package directions. You want the macaroni undercooked, which prevents the pasta from becoming too mushy in the casserole.) Drain, add to a large bowl and set aside.

4.     In a medium bowl, mix the remaining ¾ cup of milk with the cornstarch. Whisk until well-combined. Add half the milk mixture in the saucepan to the milk and cornstarch mixture in the bowl and whisk for 1 minute. Add the milk and cornstarch mixture back into the saucepan. Bring the entire milk mixture to a boil on medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and cook until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Mixture will be on the thin side. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

5.     Remove the pot from the stove. Whisk in the dry mustard, cheeses, salt and pepper. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and mix well. The mixture should look soupy.

6.     Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the prepared pan. Combine the fresh breadcrumbs and olive oil in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the top of the macaroni and cheese with bread topping. Bake for 20-25 minutes until topping is light brown and macaroni and cheese is bubbly.

Source: American Diabetes Association