I’ve got a fantastic recipe for you today! If you’re looking for a little homey comfort that won’t blow the ole’ calorie budget, you’ve got to try my Weeknight Mac and Cheese! With a few smart substitutions and sneaky tweaks, you can enjoy this childhood favorite for just a fraction of the calories. Super creamy and cheesy, I think your whole family will love it–mine certainly did!

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? Perfectly cooked elbow pasta covered with thick and gooey cheese sauce–the epitome of comfort food! It’s warm and satisfying and can please even your pickiest eater, but with some recipes pushing upwards of 1000 calories per serving (!), mac and cheese isn’t exactly waistline friendly.

Refusing to relegate mac and cheese to special occasions only, I wanted to come up with a recipe that I could feel good serving to my family any night of the week. A mac that makes for the perfect side but with enough nutritional heft to stand alone as a cozy and satisfying lunch. And perhaps most importantly, a recipe that my whole crew would LOVE.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop using these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

Making a Lighter Mac and Cheese

There’s a reason most people think of macaroni and cheese as pure indulgence. Half and half, butter, loads of cheese, pasta–need I go on? One bite of that gooey goodness and we all know what we’re dealing with! Would it be possible to give this childhood favorite a nutrition makeover?

With my work cut out for me, I set out to do just that. I wanted to create a recipe for mac that would still be wonderfully creamy and cheesy, but fit for regular rotation at the dinner table. Furthermore, I didn’t really want to get into any weird ingredients or substitutions that would be hard to find. After all, much of the beauty of a good mac and cheese is its unfussy simplicity.

So here are the little swaps and tweaks I made for my own rendition of Weeknight Mac and Cheese. After a bit of trial and error, I think I’ve come up with something your whole family is going to love!

Evaporated Milk

Many recipes for macaroni and cheese begin with a bechamel, or thickened milk sauce, as a base that will ultimately become the cheese sauce. Using low-fat evaporated milk in place of half and half or regular milk is the perfect solution for a lighter mac and cheese for a couple different reasons.

Because it’s evaporated an has less water content, evaporated milk offers a creamier mouth-feel than regular milk. Definitely a plus when you’re cutting out fat but don’t want to lose that rich consistency!

The second reason evaporated milk is so good is that it’s a little more temperature stable and therefore less likely to give you grief. Where an unwatched milk-based sauce will occasionally break on you, evaporated milk is a little more forgiving. With a house full of kids and distractions, I’m all for more forgiving!

Watch the Butter

Many recipes for mac and cheese use several tablespoons of butter. Given that each tablespoon packs 100 calories and 12 grams of fat, I knew that every little bit I could cut out would have a big impact on my calorie count.

Because my primary reason for using butter has everything to do with the roux–the fat and flour mixture that thickens the milk sauce–it was important to use enough to get the job done. This is where using the evaporated milk makes a big difference!

By using the evaporated milk, I was able to get away with using just 1 tablespoon of butter and still come away with a sauce base that’s creamy and has good body to it. No need for several tablespoons!

Good Cheese, Just Less

While I could have gone with a reduced-fat cheese, I decided instead to reach for a good quality, aged cheddar and simply cut down on the amount. Though low-fat options can be tempting when you’re trying to lighten up a recipe, many simply do not melt well, making for a rubbery mess.

I’m a big fan of Tillamook products, especially their cheeses. Tillamook’s Medium-Cheddar Cheese is aged for over 60 days, has wonderful flavor, and melts beautifully. But if you have another brand you love, go for it!

With a great cheddar cheese and a bit of mozzarella thrown in for creaminess, the end result is a deceptively rich sauce with a fraction of the calories.

Sneaking in the Good Stuff

One super easy swap to sneak in a little more nutritional value to your mac is to replace your regular elbow macaroni with a whole grain or higher protein option.

I particularly love Barilla’s Protein+ pasta. Not only is it made with several whole grains and legumes for added fiber, vitamins, and minerals, but it boasts a whopping 10 grams of protein per serving. There are several shapes to choose from–including elbows–and my crew has never noticed a difference. I’d call that a win!

Weeknight Mac and Cheese

With these smart substitutions, I wouldn’t think twice about serving up hot bowls of mac and cheese to my boys for lunch or a making a quick batch to go with dinner. It’s comfort food you can feel good about and no one will even suspect it isn’t the full monty. Your family’s going to love it!

Print

Weeknight Mac and Cheese

This Weeknight Mac and Cheese comes together in a snap and is so creamy and delicious, you won't believe it has over 60% LESS fat!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Cheese, Comfort Food, Healthy, Kids, Pasta

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Maureen @ The Diet Oracle

Ingredients

• 8 oz Barilla Protein+ elbow macaroni
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 12 fl oz evaporated milk, 2% (1 can)
• 4 oz medium cheddar cheese, grated (I like Tillamook)
• 1 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ tsp Creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachere's)
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 3-4 dashes Frank's RedHot Sauce (optional)

Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, cook your macaroni in boiling water with a bit of salt according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve a cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the elbows into a colander and return your pot to the stove top.
• Adjust the heat under your saucepan to medium and add in the butter. Once the foaming subsides, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook this roux for 1-2 minutes until golden.
• Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk and continue to stir frequently until bubbles just start to break the surface. Continue stirring for another minute or two, allowing your sauce to thicken a bit.
• Remove your sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses, Tony's, salt, and Frank's (if using). Add your cooked macaroni back to the pot and stir well until every little elbow is covered in cheesy goodness. Return to the stove and stir until piping hot.
• Serve immediately or cover and keep warm over low heat. If your mac seems a little dry come serving time, stir in a bit of that reserved cooking water to bring it back to the right consistency. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (1/6 of recipe): 280 calories, 11 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 17 g protein

This recipe has 33% fewer calories and 60% less fat compared to other popular macaroni and cheese recipes that use half and half and greater amounts of butter and cheese.

Did you try this recipe for Weeknight Mac and Cheese? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

Psst…Hungry for more? Check out more of my delicious recipes HERE!

The post Weeknight Mac and Cheese appeared first on The Diet Oracle.

If you’re looking for something traditional to add to your St. Patrick’s Day menu, this recipe for Colcannon with Leeks & Kale is an Irish classic! The epitome of rustic comfort food, you’ll love the savory flavor of this humble Irish staple. Creamy mashed potatoes come together with gently sautéed leeks and kale to make the perfect side, whether you’re enjoying a hearty stew or your favorite roasted chicken. So if you want something equally authentic and delicious to add to your St. Patty’s Day table, look no further than this recipe for Colcannon with Leeks & Kale!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you when you shop with these links, which helps to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support!

Traditional Irish Fare

If you’ve never heard of Irish colcannon, it’s quintessential homestyle cooking at its finest–flavors that are simple but so satisfying. According to my trusty Food Lover’s Companion, colcannon is, “a delicious Irish peasant dish of milk and butter-moistened mashed potatoes mixed with finely chopped cooked onion and kale or cabbage.” In my rendition of colcannon, I reached for curly kale and tender leeks. Leeks, being a milder cousin to both garlic and onions, add a subtle flavor your whole family can enjoy.

A Lighter Colcannon

To lighten this colcannon recipe without losing any of the creamy texture or flavor, I turned to one of my favorite resources, The Best Light Recipe by the Editors of Cooks Illustrated Magazine. If you’ve ever wondered how to lighten up your favorite recipes, you just can’t go wrong with this excellent cookbook! Perhaps even more invaluable than the recipes themselves are the explanations and insights shared by the editors, revealing why some substitutions work while others fail terribly. Save yourself the stress and disappointment and learn from their testing and expertise!

Though the Best Light Recipe doesn’t offer up a recipe for traditional Irish colcannon per se, I was confident their lighter rendition of mashed potatoes would be the key to my quagmire. Like mashed potatoes, colcannon relies on a hearty usage of butter and milk or cream to both moisten and add a creamy richness to the dish. Using their suggested substitution of 2% milk, a bit of light sour cream, and just a small amount of butter, I was able to create a colcannon recipe with vastly lower amounts of fat without sacrificing anything.

Print

Colcannon with Leeks & Kale

If you’re looking for something traditional to add to your St. Patrick’s Day menu, this recipe for Colcannon with Leeks and Kale is an Irish classic!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Irish

Keyword Colcannon, Kale, Leeks, Potatoes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 leeks, quartered, sliced, and carefully washed to remove sand (white and pale green parts only)
• 1 cup fresh kale, chopped small (remove and discard and tough veins/stems)
• 3/4 cup 2% milk, warmed
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Fill a medium-sized pot with water. Add the diced potatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and kale and saute until tender, about 10 minutes. About halfway through the cooking time, add a bit of water (about 2 Tbsp) to prevent the pan from getting too dry and to help steam the veggies.
• Once the potatoes are done, strain the pot and return the potatoes either to the pot or to the mixing bowl of your standing mixer. Add the warm milk, the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, and the sour cream to your hot potatoes. Using either a hand mixer or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, slowly begin to beat the potatoes until creamy and smooth.
• Once the potatoes are mashed, fold in the sauteed leeks and kale plus the salt and pepper. Have a taste and adjust to seasoning to your liking. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition information per serving (1/8 of recipe): 158 calories, 4 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Did you try this recipe for Colcannon with Leeks & Kale? Let me know how it went down in the comments!

P.S. For another fantastic recipe for your St. Patrick’s Day menu, be sure to try my Cheddar & Herb Beer Bread!

The post Colcannon with Leeks & Kale appeared first on The Diet Oracle.