Veggie Mac n' Cheese

If you are low on meat but still want to make something filling, this is a great recipe to try. I found it on Shape.com (Shape Magazine's website - they have a lot of great recipes) and it turned out pretty well. The thing I love about Shape recipes is that they often give you the nutrition score per serving (see below recipe). The only veggie that the recipe calls for is diced tomatoes but since Ryan doesn't like tomatoes I added some chopped broccoli and diced red bell peppers instead, which I definitely recommend - they added color, flavor, and a little extra nutritional value :) Enjoy!

Veggie Mac 'n Cheese

Ingredients:

1 12-ounce box of uncooked elbow macaroni
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 12-ounce can evaporated fat-free milk (or 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk)
4 ounces (1 cup) reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons bread crumbs, dried
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Transfer pasta to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream, reserved pasta water, and diced tomatoes. Set aside.

Scald milk by heating it in a medium saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles appear around the edges. Add cheese, mustard, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.

Fold cheese mixture into the pasta and transfer to a casserole dish (mixture will be thin but will thicken as it bakes).

Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over pasta.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Nutrition Score per serving:
(2 cups) 484 calories, 466 mg calcium, 79 g carbs, 7 g fat (12% of calories), 4 g fiber, 28 g protein, 3 g saturated fat, 3 mg iron, 464 mg sodium

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is one of our family favorites and our baby LOVES it too. I've added our modifications in orange.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T unsalted butter

1/4 C chopped scallions (we use green onions)

2 T flour

1/2 tsp salt (I don't like a lot of salt, so I half this)

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch ground cayenne pepper (or more for a kick :)

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 C sour cream

1 3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 C elbow macaroni, cooked (for a quicker meal - we add 2 T. water or milk to help cook the noodles, instead of cooking them ahead)

1/4 C unseasoned bread crumbs (we like it crispy so we don't measure this :)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour salt, dry mustard, pepper and cayenne. Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add scallions and saute for 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Add flour mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 C cheese, and sour cream if using. Add macaroni. Pour into a greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish or 8X8 glass pan. Top with remaining 1/4 C cheese and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread crumbs are lightly browned. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.