Healthybakedmacaronicheese Recipes

HEALTHIER MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes; drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot margarine until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir flour, mustard, and pepper into onions and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually pour in milk, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir grated Cheddar cheese into the sauce until cheese is completely melted.
• Mix macaroni, cottage cheese, and Cheddar cheese sauce together in a bowl; pour into prepared casserole dish and top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 20 minutes.

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.

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Set an oven rack 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat the half-and-half and cayenne in a large saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Continue simmering until the half-and-half is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs with the butter and a sprinkle of salt in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.

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.

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• For the macaroni: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish.
• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the salt and macaroni. Bring the water back to a boil and cook the macaroni until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
• For the cheese sauce: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour and salt, stirring and cooking over medium heat until the roux bubbles and the flour turns pale brown, about 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk and then whisk in the remaining 1 cup milk. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the drained macaroni to the cheese sauce and mix thoroughly.
• For the topping: In a small bowl, stir the breadcrumbs with the butter until the crumbs are moistened.
• Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the prepared baking dish and top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Bake until the dish bubbles around the edges, about 15 minutes.

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.

HEALTHY MACARONI & CHEESE

Steps:

• Boil macaroni for about 11 minutes. Drain water, add olive oil & cheese, stir to melt cheese.
• Add onions, milk, & parsley, stir again. Easy!
• Optional additional thickener: ½ cup undiluted Campbell's 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup......................................................... 70 cal, 10 g carbs, 2 g protein, 10 mg. cholesterol, Total fat 2.5 g (Sat. fst 1 g, Trans fat o g).