Healthier Baked Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

HEALTHIER HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk to roux, stirring constantly. Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is thick, about 3 minutes. Place macaroni in large baking dish and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until butter is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread over macaroni to cover. Sprinkle with paprika.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese sauce is hot and breadcrumbs are browned, about 30 minutes.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
• In a large pot of salted water, lightly boil the macaroni for about 5 minutes until half-cooked.
• Whisk the egg and milk together in a large cup. Add butter and cheese to the egg and milk. Stir well.
• Place the lightly cooked macaroni in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg and cheese liquid over the macaroni, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir well. Press the mixture evenly around the baking dish.
• Bake uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is brown.

HEALTHIER BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions but two minutes less than suggested by the directions. Add the zucchini bites and cook an additional minute. Drain and rinse.
• Place 1/4 cup of your skim milk into a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the powdered milk and dry mustard until there are no lumps. This step enriches the milk without adding fat. Now whisk in the corn starch until there are no lumps and the milk is warmed but not hot. Add in the remaining milk and turn off the heat. Mix in the egg substitute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Guessing paprika, onion or garlic powder might be nice here as well.
• Prepare a 9 inch square pan with a coating of butter flavored cooking spray.
• After grating the cheese, reserve 1/4 of the amount for the top.
• Place 1/3 of the pasta and zucchini into the bottom of your baking dish. Cover with 1/2 of the remaining cheese. Repeat, with a second layer of pasta and cheese. Place the final third of pasta on top and cover with the reserved cheese.
• Pour custard into the casserole dish. You want this liquid to come within about 1/2 inch of the top of the pan. The shape and size of the dish may require more or less -- just keep the proportion of 1/2 cup egg substitute and 1 tablespoon dry milk for each cup of skim milk.
• Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean of custard (it might be a bit cheesy).
• Tip from 3KillerB's: this is apt to overflow a little if you got the custard too far up to the top. Best to bake it on the upper rack with a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips.

HEALTHY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray an 8x8" baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
• In a large pot boil the pasta for 5 minutes then drain and set aside.
• In that pot, wipe it dry with a paper towel.
• On medium-high heat melt the butter and whisk in the flour until the flour is completely mixed in.
• Add in the milk slowly whisking as you pour.
• Cook, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
• Add in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and the cottage cheese whisking well.
• Add salt, mustard, pepper, and the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
• Pour mixture into baking dish.
• Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

HEALTHY BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• I like to use the healthy choice or smart balance cheeses. Use Tabasco to taste of course--my husband likes it spicy!
• Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13 or 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray oil.
• Cook macaroni according to package directions.
• In a food processor or blender, mix ricotta cheese, milk, egg substitute, mustard, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
• Process until smooth.
• Drain macaroni, return to pot and add shredded cheddar. Stir until cheese melts. Stir in ricotta mixture and scrape into prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and paprika. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni and cheese.
• Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Serve hot.