December 24, 2019

Healthy Recipe: Healthy Mac and Cheese

By Do It Better Wellness

TOM D'INTINO/for PhillyVoice

Enjoy a healthier take on a classic side dish with this healthy mac and cheese recipe. Made with a delicious onion-garlic puree, this recipe packs a ton of cheesy flavor while doing minimal damage to your waistline.

Healthy Mac and Cheese –4 servings

Ingredients:

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 4 oz. of whole wheat macaroni elbows
• ½ cup of onion-garlic puree
• ½ teaspoon of dry mustard
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 cup of reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup of (panko) whole wheat bread crumbs

Directions:

Onion-Garlic Puree : Combine 1 large Vidalia onion, 9 garlic cloves (roughly chopped), and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender; blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mist an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set it aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions, drain.
Meanwhile, bring onion-garlic puree, mustard, and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Whisk in cheddar until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt.
In a medium bowl, toss the macaroni with the cheese sauce. Season with salt to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle panko over the top. Top with Parmesan.
Bake until Parmesan is melted, and macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per serving):