Who doesn't love mac and cheese... and I'm not talkin' about pasta in a box sprinkled with cheese dust... REAL mac and cheese!! And REAL easy! Here's how we started!
Now it's Thursday... 5 long lonely days since food-shopping, so we had to use what we had... and tonight, we had 2 lovely zucchinis, fresh baby spinach, a box of high protein pasta, and some cheese!
I see some mac and cheese in our immediate dinner-future... and I can't wait! Our creamy cheesy flavor tonight comes courtesy of fontina (a nice Italian, melty, nutty cheese) and sharp cheddar (I HATE orange cheese... dyes,grrrrr, but this was all we had, so I sucked it up, and used the cheese).
For this super quick mac and cheese (and I mean 30 minutes.... for real), I cooked the pasta first according to the directions (shy a minute or two for al dente).
After draining and rinsing the pasta in cold water, I threw 4 tablespoons (half of one stick) of butter on medium heat... in the same pan pan I cooked the pasta in. When the butter melted, I added 1/4 cup of flour with salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and garlic powder.
Cook the flour a bit and then, add 3 cups of milk. I used low fat milk, and that's what makes this mac and cheese leaner than any mac and cheese you'll find on food network or in any restaurant. But it has TONS OF FLAVOR!!!
After the milk cooks a bit, it will get bubbly... turn off the heat and now you have a a white sauce, ready for cheese.
Tonight I shredded my cheese in my handy dandy processor and in 4 seconds, I had cheesy goodness, ready for sauce. Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese.
Let it sit and get warm.... then mix it up a bit to combine. Now it's GO TIME!! Take your cooked pasta and add it into a baking dish (that's been sprayed with non stick spray).
Add the chopped zuke and fresh spinach.
Toss it up a bit and then....
add the creamy tasty cheese sauce!! Mix it up again to combine, and cover with foil.
I sprayed my foil with nonstick spray so the pasta wouldn't stick to the foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Ours took 45 minutes and it was creamy and cheesy and tasty and incredible! Mac and cheese can be made with powder from a box.... but, THIS mac and cheese only took 45 (cooking) minutes, and we used REAL CHEESE, real milk, high protein pasta, and fresh veggies, full of nutrition and fiber!!
And we have happy, lean, strong, mac and cheese eaters in the house!!!
Who doesn't love mac and cheese... and I'm not talkin' about pasta in a box sprinkled with cheese dust... REAL mac and cheese!! And REAL easy! Here's how we started!
Now it's Thursday... 5 long lonely days since food-shopping, so we had to use what we had... and tonight, we had 2 lovely zucchinis, fresh baby spinach, a box of high protein pasta, and some cheese!
I see some mac and cheese in our immediate dinner-future... and I can't wait! Our creamy cheesy flavor tonight comes courtesy of fontina (a nice Italian, melty, nutty cheese) and sharp cheddar (I HATE orange cheese... dyes,grrrrr, but this was all we had, so I sucked it up, and used the cheese).
For this super quick mac and cheese (and I mean 30 minutes.... for real), I cooked the pasta first according to the directions (shy a minute or two for al dente).
After draining and rinsing the pasta in cold water, I threw 4 tablespoons (half of one stick) of butter on medium heat... in the same pan pan I cooked the pasta in. When the butter melted, I added 1/4 cup of flour with salt, pepper, a pinch of cayenne, and garlic powder.
Cook the flour a bit and then, add 3 cups of milk. I used low fat milk, and that's what makes this mac and cheese leaner than any mac and cheese you'll find on food network or in any restaurant. But it has TONS OF FLAVOR!!!
After the milk cooks a bit, it will get bubbly... turn off the heat and now you have a a white sauce, ready for cheese.
Tonight I shredded my cheese in my handy dandy processor and in 4 seconds, I had cheesy goodness, ready for sauce. Take the pan off the heat and add the cheese.
Let it sit and get warm.... then mix it up a bit to combine. Now it's GO TIME!! Take your cooked pasta and add it into a baking dish (that's been sprayed with non stick spray).
Add the chopped zuke and fresh spinach.
Toss it up a bit and then....
add the creamy tasty cheese sauce!! Mix it up again to combine, and cover with foil.
I sprayed my foil with nonstick spray so the pasta wouldn't stick to the foil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes. Ours took 45 minutes and it was creamy and cheesy and tasty and incredible! Mac and cheese can be made with powder from a box.... but, THIS mac and cheese only took 45 (cooking) minutes, and we used REAL CHEESE, real milk, high protein pasta, and fresh veggies, full of nutrition and fiber!!
And we have happy, lean, strong, mac and cheese eaters in the house!!!
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