A healthier take on one of our favorite comfort foods
Mac n’ cheese…the ultimate comfort food. If you mix it up out of the box, it’s pretty much the ultimate junk food. Think about it. What’s really in that orange powder that you stir into the noodles with butter and milk? Any idea?If you must know, the ingredient list on one of the name brand boxes reads as follows: whey, milk fat protein concentrate, salt, sodium tripolyphosphate, citric acid, lactic acid, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, milk, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, enzymes and cheese culture. Yum.
It is generally my policy not to eat anything that contains things I might have mixed up in a chemistry class, so this didn’t really appeal to me.
It is said that Thomas Jefferson first served a macaroni and cheese dish at a White House dinner in 1802 when cauliflower, which was commonly served with a cheese sauce in England and in the colonies was not available. The improvised side dish was a hit and guests began spreading the recipe among their friends.
I don’t claim to have a recipe for a mac n’ cheese that is low fat or low carb, but I’ve been able to doctor it up a bit so that it is at least a little better for you and really, really tasty. Besides, if you can sneak some veggies into a comfort food, it’s always easier to get those non-believers to gobble them up.
Mac n’ Cheese
1 12 ounce box elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
1 cup milk
¼ cup onion, finely diced
½ cup broccoli florets, chopped into tiny pieces
½ cup cauliflower florets, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg or egg substitute
12 ounces sharp cheddar (or soy cheddar), shredded
2 ounces cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
· While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, mustard and hot sauce and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes.
· Temper in the egg. Stir in about three-quarters of the cheddar cheese and all of the cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
· Bake it for 30 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn a golden brown.
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
1 cup milk
¼ cup onion, finely diced
½ cup broccoli florets, chopped into tiny pieces
½ cup cauliflower florets, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg or egg substitute
12 ounces sharp cheddar (or soy cheddar), shredded
2 ounces cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
· Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
· In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.
· While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, mustard and hot sauce and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes.
· Temper in the egg. Stir in about three-quarters of the cheddar cheese and all of the cream cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a baking dish. Top with the remaining cheese.
· Bake it for 30 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn a golden brown.
