Recipe courtesy of Melanie Barnard
Mac and Cheese - My Way
- Level: Easy
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 290
- Total Fat
- 16
- Saturated Fat
- 9
- Carbohydrates
- 25
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 3
- Protein
- 12
- Cholesterol
- 43
- Sodium
- 307
Ingredients
2 2/3 cups small elbow macaroni (or bow ties or ditali)
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cups (12 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
Directions
- Cook macaroni in boiling salted water until tender, but firm. Drain well. Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove and toss 1 tablespoon of the butter with the bread crumbs. Reserve. Add the flour to the remaining butter, whisking for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add green onions. Whisk 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat or keep on very, very low
- heat. Add half of the cheese, stirring until smooth. Add remaining cheese, stirring until melted and smooth. Add the macaroni to the sauce and stir well. Spoon into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the buttered crumbs. Broil until the crumbs brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately. (If you wish, the mixture can be prepared before broiling up to several hours ahead and refrigerated. You may need to stir in a little more milk or broth if it thickens to much. Then bake, covered, for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Uncover, and bake about I0 minutes more until crumbs are browned and casserole is hot and bubbly.)
- IDEAS FOR LIVENING UP BOXED MAC AND CHEESE
- Stir in chopped pasta-ready canned tomatoes and chopped fresh basil (Italian)
- Stir in a can of chopped green chiles and a teaspoon of chili powder (Mexican)
- Stir in a can of drained water-packed tuna fish, a small can of olives, and some chopped fresh herb such as parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, sage, or chives
- Stir in leftover bits of cooked vegies (broccoli or corn) or deli meats (ham or smoked turkey or salami