#EASY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE MAC#

#EASY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE MAC#

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Roasted Veggies.

More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes YouвЂ™ll Love:

Try a different shaped pasta like farfalle, rotini, or penne.

Use whole wheat, gluten-free, or chickpea pasta instead of fiber-enriched pasta.

Sub the 2% cheddar for reduced fat Gruyere.

Switch out the spinach for other vegetables like mushrooms or broccoli.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until heated through. You will need to bake the macaroni and cheese casserole a little longer since itвЂ™ll be cold. When youвЂ™re ready to bake it, pull the mac out of the fridge while the oven is preheating and top with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate for up to two days. To refrigerate before baking, you will complete all the steps up to putting the mixture in the pan. Do all the cooking whenever you have the time and bake it right before youвЂ™re ready to eat. This make-ahead mac and cheese is a great option for meal prep. Yes, you can refrigerate macaroni and cheese before you bake it. Or serve it as a side dish with an entrГ©e like turkey meatloaf or baked chicken tenders. If you want to add a side, you could serve it with a side salad like this chopped wedge or Caesar salad. This easy baked mac and cheese would make a delicious main dish for dinner for a busy weeknight. A one-cup serving of this healthy mac and cheese comes in at just under 300 calories. The reduced fat cheese and skim milk help keep the calorie count down. Not to mention, spinach is packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals. I also added spinach, which is another good source of fiber. However, the calories can add up quickly, so itвЂ™s important to keep your portion size in check. Macaroni and cheese does have a good amount of protein from all the milk and cheese. Mac and cheese isnвЂ™t necessarily unhealthy, but it depends on the recipe вЂ“ some recipes are worse than others. I usually do this 1/4 cup at a time, whisking in between until itвЂ™s all melted. Doing so will cause the cheese to break down causing a gritty texture. You donвЂ™t want to add the cheese to the mixture if itвЂ™s boiling/bubbling. I usually move this to a different burner so it stops boiling. When adding the cheese, remove the white sauce from the heat completely before adding the cheese.

Do NOT add the cheese to boiling sauce.

It thickens once it cools, then you stir the cheese into it to make your cheese sauce. A white sauce is made with butter or olive oil stirred with flour and milk. For this recipe, grating your own cheese will give you the smoothest results. Have you ever made a mac and cheese that wasnвЂ™t creamy or smooth? Instead if was grainy or gritty? The worst! HereвЂ™s a few steps you should take for perfectly creamy cheese sauce.

Tips for Perfect Cheese Sauce (not grainy or gritty)

Grating the cheese yourself will give the the smoothest cheese sauce.

Replaced cream with skim milk and chicken brothДЇor creamy macaroni and cheese, itвЂ™s essential to choose a good cheese.

I lightened up this casserole in four ways: Just serve it without the breadcrumbs and grated cheese. If you want to make this recipe a quick stovetop mac and cheese, you can skip the last step. For low-carb macaroni and cheese options, try Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese or Baked Cauliflower вЂњMacвЂќ and Cheese.

My skeptical daughter gave it her approval. This healthier mac and cheese recipe is not only lighter, but it will also be a hit with your kids. ItвЂ™s so much better than the boxed versions, but mac and cheese can be so heavy that itвЂ™s hard to enjoy it very often. This creamy baked macaroni and cheese recipe is a lighter version of the classic recipe with added fiber from spinach.

Easy baked macaroni and cheese