Ode to Macaroni & Cheese

Who says comfort meals can’t be healthy? It’s time we squash that myth. Growing up my mom would often offer "macaroni and cheese" as my afterschool meal. This wasn’t just any kind of macaroni and cheese – I’m pretty sure she snuck in some vegetables in the cheese sauce. Sometimes it would have freshly made salsa and she called it “spicy macaroni and cheese.” Creative right? I thought so. It didn’t matter what she called it because it tasted delicious. Taking a strip out of mom’s healthy ways, I decided to make good old macaroni and cheese for dinner. This recipe takes less than 20minutes to make and leaves taste buds satisfied. Oh, and it’s calorie smart so I can still have my dark chocolate and strawberries for dessert.

-keeping.up.with.the.dietitian

Macaroni and Cheese

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

1c cauliflower, boiled

4 tbsp low fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4c skim milk

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper (optional)

2/3c cooked whole wheat pasta (or brown rice and corn elbow pasta)

3oz grilled chicken breast

2c mixed green salad

Boil pasta and set aside. In a blender, or food processor, puree boiled cauliflower, skim milk, cheese, black pepper and sea salt. Once cheese mixture is smooth (i.e. free of lumps), pour it over cooked portioned out pasta. To make this recipe gluten free, use the brown rice and corn elbow pasta.

Pair this pasta dish with grilled chicken breast and mixed green salad for a complete meal. I added a small amount of barbeque sauce to my chicken and included ¼ of boiled corn on the cob.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Energy: 350kcal Protein: 35g Fat:8g Carbohydrates:38g Fibre:9g