Lo Fat Whole Grain Classic Macaroni and Cheese

(Image Copyright Rick's Photostream on FlickR Creative Commons Attribution)

Big Crafty Congrats to NesieJean for winning the Friendly Plastic Prize Package! Email me your mailing address to margot@margotpotter.com and I'll have that shipped right out to you!

Here's a deliciously decadent recipe that's big on delicious and surprisingly low on decadent!

I have a confession to make...I'm not a fan of cold weather. However I do like wearing sweaters and fleece pjs...and I love comfort food. Unfortunately comfort food tends to be packed with carbs and fat and we're trying to be healthier around these parts. So what's a gal to do? I took my favorite recipe for "Zippy Cheese Sauce" from the classic Moosewood Cookbook and I tweaked it until I got a low-fat version that still tasted yummy. The first round wasn't so yummy...but I persevered!

A little dash of this and a sprinkling of that and some whole grain pasta...comfort food here we come

I had to keep the roux traditional, making it with butter substitutes and wheat flour proved disastrous, so there are two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of white flour, but spread that out over an entire pan of Mac and Cheese, and you're still doing might fine.

My family has already devoured the first batch since I served it last night for dinner. So that's a very good sign.

Here's my recipe:

Lo-Fat Whole Grain Classic Mac and Cheese
Copyright Margot Potter

Ingredients

Roux:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Sauce:
1 cup fat free 1/2 and 1/2
1 cup fat free milk
16 oz. 50% reduced fat cheddar

1 lb. Whole Wheat Pasta (read the packages and be sure you get a 100% wheat and not a blend.)

1. Boil pasta until it is past the al dente stage.

2. Create a roux by whisking butter and slowly integrating flour and mustard.

3. Warm the milk and 1/2 & 1/2 and whisk into roux mixture. Allow to thicken for several minutes.

4. Grate cheese and slowly stir into liquid, allowing cheese to melt.

5. Pour noodles into a 9x13 pan.

6. Pour cheese over noodles, allowing it to settle a bit and adding more until you've filled the cheese up to the edge of the pan.

7. Pour breadcrumbs over top of mac and cheese.

8. Place on a tray and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until breadcrumbs and cheese begin to brown.

Variations: add lo fat goat cheese, feta or ricotta, chopped garlic, hot sauce, broccoli...

This sauce is delicious in omelettes or over steamed veggies!