Hearty Healthy Mac 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.

HEARTY HEALTHY MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Prepare macaroni until "al dente." I boiled mine for about 5 minutes and it was good to go. Drain and set aside.
• Process milk, onion, garlic, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, mustard, paprika, and garlic salt in blender until smooth. Stir macaroni and cheese mixture until well combined.
• Pour macaroni mixture into greased baking pan and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until top is golden brown and insides are bubbly. Serves 6.

HEARTY HAM MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish: set aside., For bread crumbs, pulse bread and cold butter in a food processor until crumbs are fine, about 20-25 pulses; set aside., Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the garlic, water, mustard and cayenne for 30 seconds. Stir in flour until blended; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Cook and stir 4-5 minutes longer or until mixture begins to thicken., Remove from the heat; stir in the cheeses, salt and pepper. Drain pasta; add to cheese mixture. Fold in ham. Pour into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with bread crumbs., Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

HEARTY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 X 13 baking pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until the squash is fully defrosted. Turn the heat up and cook until almost simmering. Add the ricotta cheese. Use an immersion blender to make sure the squash, milk and cheese is nice and smooth (this isn't necessary, but it helped the consistency).
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, salt, mustard and cayenne. Add drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the mac & cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes to crisp-up the top.

HEARTY MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; set cheese packet aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain., Add the soup, water, ketchup, mustard and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes., Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture. Add the corn, cheese, contents of reserved cheese packet, butter and milk. Cook and stir until cheese and butter are melted.