4 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

This is real comfort food, and healthy as well. It makes a big batch but keeps in the fridge well for a few days for leftovers, or it would be good for a pot-luck.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 500  g  whole wheat elbow macaroni (about 4 cups)
• 1  liter skim milk
• 30  ml margarine
• 60  ml flour
• 15  ml salt (or to taste)
• 5  ml pepper (or to taste)
• 225  g low-fat cheddar cheese
• 225  g lowfat mozzarella cheese
• 100  g low-fat monterey jack cheese
• 250  ml low-fat cream cheese

Directions

1. This dish is baked in a 9 X 13 Corning Wear dish. If you have a microwave big enough to accommodate this dish, you can make the whole thing in this dish from scratch. Otherwise, prepare the ingredients in a large microwavable bowl and then transfer them to the baking dish afterward.
2. In microwavable dish, melt the margarine. Add the milk, salt and pepper, and flour, stirring as for white sauce. Heat till almost boiling. Dice the cream cheese and stir it into the milk mixture, then microwave again to soften.
3. Grate or crumble the other cheeses into the sauce mixture. (This is a lot of cheese to grate. To save time and energy, I measure and cut my cheeses ahead of time and freeze them. Then thaw them in the fridge for at least 8 hours. They will easily crumble.).
4. Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling water till soft. Drain.
5. Add the macaroni to the cheese mixture in the 9 X 13 pan.
6. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. The mixture will be bubbling. Do not overcook as it loses its creamy texture and gets dry.
7. Let dish sit 10 minutes or so before serving; sauce will thicken.