Healthy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Submitted by Chef #284771

"A delicious healthy alternative to macaroni and cheese. Very quick and easy to make and homemade is always so much better! I will sometimes add chicken or spinach and turn it into a main dish."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 1/2 cup
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 lb whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 15 ounces fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 3⁄4 cups skim milk
• 1⁄2 cup Egg Beaters egg substitute (r)
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 8 ounces fat-free cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1⁄4 cup fat-free parmesan cheese
• 1⁄4 cup fine breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon paprika

directions

1. I like to use the healthy choice or smart balance cheeses. Use Tabasco to taste of course--my husband likes it spicy!
2. Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13 or 3-quart baking dish with nonstick spray oil.
3. Cook macaroni according to package directions.
4. In a food processor or blender, mix ricotta cheese, milk, egg substitute, mustard, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper.
5. Process until smooth.
6. Drain macaroni, return to pot and add shredded cheddar. Stir until cheese melts. Stir in ricotta mixture and scrape into prepared baking dish.
7. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and paprika. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni and cheese.
8. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Reviews

[stormylee]

Very nice - the Tabasco is a great touch! I didn't make this quite as healthy as the recipe calls for: I used real eggs and low fat cheeses (fat-free are not available so I went as low as I could!). The cheddar really wanted to become a lump instead of melting, but after a bit of chopping it was more or less evenly distributed! I also added some cooked chicken to the mixture - made for a lovely meal! Thank you for sharing!