Healthier macaroni cheese
Excess saturated fat in the diet can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the likelihood of developing heart disease, so check food labels and try to choose ingredients that are lower in saturated fat content. Traditional macaroni cheese is made with butter, whole milk, Cheddar cheese and Parmesan, all of which push the saturated fat content up to a huge 28g per portion. Try this healthier version instead: as well as slashing the saturated fat content by 75 per cent, it is made with wholemeal macaroni, which increases the fibre content. It also has added spinach and tomato to create a super, simple and healthy supper dish.
Ingredients
Per portion: 526 kcal, 30g protein, 18g fat (of which saturated 7g), 65g carbohydrate
250g macaroni
40g olive oil based spread
40g plain flour
500ml semi-skimmed milk
4 large handfuls of baby-leaf spinach
4 tomatoes, sliced
2 heaped tbsp half-fat cr�me fra�che
150g grated half-fat Edam
2 heaped tbsp Quark or very-low-fat soft cheese
25g grated Parmesan
Method
Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling water according to the packet instructions (about 8-10 minutes), then drain well and set aside.
Melt the spread in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a paste, cooking for a few minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Meanwhile, preheat the grill to hot and grill the sliced tomatoes for a minute on each side.
Remove the sauce from the hob, add the Quark and cr�me fra�che and two-thirds of the Edam, and stir until the cheese is melted.
Add the macaroni to the sauce and mix well.
Transfer half the mixture to a deep ovenproof dish. Place a layer of spinach and sliced tomatoes on top, then cover with the remaining macaroni mixture. The heat of the mixture should be enough to wilt the spinach.
Sprinkle over the remaining Edam and the Parmesan and place the dish under the hot grill. Cook until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Your comments
Wendy Slabbert wrote:
Adding mustard to a cheese sauce gives it a more cheesy flavour. You could just add mustard and no cheese. Try it!
Moira Hall wrote:
Must try this, I have been looking for a low fat recipe for Macaroni and cheese for ages.
Nigel White wrote:
Why are you suggesting that we use imported cheeses - Edam and Parmesan. Edam is a high salt cheese. You can buy half fat Cheddar style cheeses (most supermarkets stock half fat hard cheese farmhouse or mature) and use instead of Edam and a 25 g sprinkling of grated Vintage Cheddar would work as well as the Parmesan. The home produced cheeses would probably be better value for money as well
Leonard Harden wrote:
Get more recipes request it would not accept my email address?
Carol Portelli wrote:
delicious