Macaroni and Cheese

Albie and his first tennis ball

I had to add a cute puppy pic :) Albie got his first tennis ball over the holiday weekend and loves it. I would add a pic of our macaroni and cheese, but the picture didn't do it justice. Maybe next time I'll photo it with better presentation skills.

I love a good bowl of creamy macaroni and cheese. What I don't love is that most recipes require lots of cream or processed cheeses to make it the right consistency. My first 2 attempts at homestyle macaroni and cheese were mediocre. They lacked the cheesy taste and creamy texture combo I really wanted (think El Pollo Loco Mac). So, one day I finally stumbled upon a "healthier" version recipe. I glanced at the ingredients and thought it's worth a shot, but traditionally healthy and macaroni and cheese don't belong in the same sentence. Sure enough, however, it turned out creamy and cheesy without cream and overly processed cheese. I was so happy! This was my second time making it. I will post the original recipe as is, however, I will note that with the hot temperatures, I did not bake mine in the oven. I just combined my noodles and cheese sauce and called it a day :) It was still just as delicious!

INGREDIENTS

10 oz macaroni cooked al dente

1 tomato, sliced

2 c low-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1/2 c crushed cornflakes or breadcrumbs

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 c skim milk

2 tbsp low-fat cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9 x 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Boil water and cook macaroni.

3. Combine flour, salt, onion powder, and black pepper in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk milk into the pan, add cream cheese. Whisk vigorously, until even and no lumps appear (this may take some time!). Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

4. In a bowl, combine cooked macaroni and cheese sauce. Spoon into prepared baking dish. Top with sliced tomato, shredded cheese, and cornflakes. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes.