Macaroni & Cheese

From EatingWell: September/October 1993 — Subscribe Now!

The sauce for this simple mac-and-cheese uses low-fat cottage cheese as its base. Just a cup of sharp Cheddar adds lots of flavor with not too much fat.

4 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low cholesterol | High calcium | High fiber | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup nonfat milk, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, (4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water; set aside. Puree cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until smooth; set aside.
Heat 3/4 cup milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Whisk together flour and the remaining 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the hot milk and cook, whisking, until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the pureed cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Spoon into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake until bubbling and brown, about 35 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 422 calories; 12 g fat (6 g sat, 1 g mono); 37 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrates; 30 g protein; 7 g fiber; 696 mg sodium; 309 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (75% daily value), Calcium (38% dv), Magnesium (24% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 1/2 very lean meat, 1 high-fat meat