Easy & Light Mac-n-Cheese Recipe. Mmm, Mm, Good.

This recipe appeared in Cooks Illustrated in 2006.

Is there a grown-up person anywhere who cannot remember some of the most amazing macaroni and cheese from their childhood?  Well, I am one of them!  I ironically hate cheese, but my sister Betsy raves about this mac-n-cheese recipe for her kids that is LIGHT and EASY.  This so-called “comfort food” has a zillion recipes, and some people probably prefer the good-ole Kraft box mac and cheese ….but I am personally a big believer in ‘home-made’, but it also has to be easy and quick! This recipe is SPEEDY, easy, and delicious. Mac and cheese is an easy to prepare dish and your kids will eat it without complaint—

As a note, don’t be tempted to use either pre-shredded or nonfat cheddar cheese in this dish—the texture and flavor of the macaroni and cheese will suffer considerably. For best results, choose a low-fat cheddar cheese that is sold in block form and has roughly 50 percent of the fat and calories of regular cheese (we like Cabot brand).

INGREDIENTS:  

• Salt 
• 3/8 lb. elbow macaroni (about 2 cups) 
• 1 (12-ounce can 2 percent reduced-fact evaporated milk 
• 2/3 cup low-fat milk (2 percent) 
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or celery salt (optional) 
• pinch cayenne pepper 
• 2 tsps cornstarch 
• 8 ounces 50 percent lighter chedder cheese (Cabot 50% Light Sharp Cheddar or Cracker Barrel Reduced Fat Sharp Cheddar Cheese or what you find at the grocery store), grated (about 2 cups) 

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Bring 2 1/2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and the macaroni; cook until the pasta is completely cooked and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander; set aside.

2. Add the evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the 2 percent milk, mustard, garlic powder (if using), cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the now-empty saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup milk together, then whisk it into the simmering mixture. Continue to simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened and is smooth, about 2 minutes.

3. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cheddar until melted and smooth. Stir in the macaroni, and let the macaroni and cheese sit off the heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 5 minutes, before serving.

PER SERVING:
Cal 360; Fat 10 g; Sat fat 6 g; Chol 40 mg; Carb 45 g; Protein 24 g; Fiber 1 g; Sodium 720 mg

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Are You Sneaky Around Your Picky Eaters?

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals (Paperback) by Missy Chase Lapine

I was always the picky eater in my family. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how my mom dealt! I never liked anything my parents put in front of me, especially vegetables (well, OK, I would eat Mac ‘n Cheese – but that was about it!). If I had it my way, it would have been cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
As I begin to think about having kids of my own, as well as watching friends and family raise their own picky eaters, I’m beginning to wonder how on earth I’m going to deal with a child who won’t eat what I put in front of them: Will I use the “3 bite” rule? Will I make them sit at the table until they finish (or at least try) what I’ve given them? I can’t imagine I’d just fix them something else? What will I do?!?
My friends don’t seem to be having much luck themselves, except, Sarah, who’s doing the hide-the-nutritional-stuff-in-their-food trick. There is actually a cook book out by Jerry Seinfeld’s wife, Jessica, on doing just this. How fantastic! The book is called “Deceptively Delicious” and has an array of kid-friendly recipes that hide the “good for you” in regular food, like Mac ‘n Cheese and Brownies! There is another book I’ve seen called “The Sneaky Chef” with the same idea. For some reason, though, Cauliflower Eggs doesn’t sound that appetizing…
What have been your tricks to get your picky eaters to gobble down your Chef-tastic meals? Have you tried any of these books, and do their recipes really help?! Let us know, and by all means, PLEASE share your Picky Eater Recipes!

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le•top Chef Series: Homemade Mac & Cheese

for busy moms and dads…IN ABOUT
15 MINUTES!

Who doesn’t love this luscious comfort-food-of-all-comfort-foods?!? (sweetie is going to just swoon over this one…watch out!). This recipe is submitted by le•top’s own Kristin, who is a self-proclaimed non-cook (although I suspect she made this for the office party!) and doesn’t like spending more than 15 minutes in the kitchen at a time. Good thing this recipe only takes about 15 minutes start-to-finish:

1 box of macaroni shells
1/4 stick of butter
1/3 C Milk
4-5 slices of Kraft American Cheese (torn up into little pieces)
1/2 T Dried Mustard (approx. to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the macaroni shells as called for on the box. Melt butter with milk in pan on low. Drain macaroni and put back into pan with milk and melted butter. Slowly add cheese bits into pan, stir until melted. Add dried Mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

(With apologies to Jamee and Sharon for taunting this not very GD-friendly carbo recipe…!!)

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