Jean-Friendly Macaroni & Cheese

I love cheese.  I mean I really luurrv cheese.  So much so that I spent my 3rd 29th birthday in Vermont tasting cheese.  And I particularly enjoy cheese when it's combined with pasta as macaroni and cheese.  The problem with mac & cheese, as we all know, is that to make it good one also has to make it very bad for us.  So, I set out to come up with a version of mac & cheese that would let me eat the quantities I wanted and would taste just as good as the original, while still letting me wear my jeans with out having to do "stretch-em-out squats" first.  I used a recipe from Cooking Light as my jumping-off point and came up with this version, which can be eaten straight from the stove-top or baked in the oven to give it a lovely crusty top. 

Jean-Friendly Macaroni & Cheese

13 ounces whole wheat macaroni
2 1/2 cups skim milk
4 ounces low fat cream cheese
7 ounces low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayene pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Put a large pot of water on to boil.  When it's boiling salt the water generously and add the macaroni.  In a separate pot make a roux (melt the butter and mix the flour into it to form a paste) then slowly pour in the first cup of milk, stirring the milk to incorporate the roux.  When the roux is incorporated add the remaining milk, the dijon mustard and the spices.

Allow the milk to come to a boil, stirring constantly so that the milk doesn't scorch.  (You won't know how thick a roux will make your sauce until the liquid comes to a boil.)  Turn the milk down to medium-low and add in the cream cheese.  Stir the mixture until the cream cheese has melted. Once the cream cheese has melted add the cheddar in handfuls, waiting for it to be completed mixed in before adding the next handful. By this point the cheese sauce is complete and the pasta should be fully cooked.  Turn off the heat from under the cheese sauce, drain the pasta and mix it into the cheese. The mac & cheese will seem runny, but it thickens up as it cools. 

Alternative Method:  If you wanted to finish this in the oven, spread the mac & cheese into a large rectangular oven-proof pan.  Toast 1 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs and 1 tbsp of butter in a skillet until the bread crumbs are golden (it happens very quickly).  Spread some shredded cheddar over the top of the mac & cheese and top with the bread crumber.  Bake in the over at 350 for about 15 minutes until the top is golden brown and the mac & cheese is bubbly.

Add-Ins: I often add peas (frozen is fine) and little pieces of ham to my mac & cheese (they make it feel like a more well-rounded meal).  The Hubs was pushing for the addition of small pieces of bacon tonight (he has a point, that would have been good).  Also, skipping the paprika and cayene pepper in favor of sundried tomatoes, goat cheese (just about 2 ounces sprinkled in) topped with fresh basil is a much fancier version of this dish.  Finally, if you aren't worried about the fit of your jeans, substitute fontina (4 ounces) and gruyere (7 ounces) cheeses for the shredded cheddar and cream cheese.

Bon Appetit!


Serves 4

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