Healthy Mac N’ Cheese

Here is a reinvented and healthy mac n’ cheese dish! Had you ever thought about including butternut squash into your recipe? You will notice that it creates an even more creamy texture, and that it even feels as if we were “cheating”. A recipe that will certainly please your family!

4 servings

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 ml (2 cups) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 250 ml (1 cup) skimmed milk
• 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable broth
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 200 g whole-wheat macaroni, dry
• ½ onion, cubed
• 1 broccoli, cut in florets
• 1 sweet red pepper, cubed
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) olive oil
• 250 ml (1 cup) cheddar cheese, low-fat
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) Dijon mustard
• 2,5 ml (½ teaspoon) paprika
• 1,2 ml (¼ teaspoon) hot chili pepper
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) light parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.
2. In a saucepan, cook the squash over medium heat in the milk, vegetable broth, and garlic for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Add salt and pepper. Mix with a food processor. Set aside.
3. Fill another saucepan with water, and bring it to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the label.
4. Meanwhile, in a pan, sauté the onion, broccoli, and sweet pepper in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
5. When the pasta is ready, drain and add the squash mix, sautéed vegetables, cheddar cheese, Dijon mustard, spices, and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and transfer into an oven-proof dish. Add the remaining parmesan on top of the macaroni, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Bon appétit!

Nutritional values per serving: 374 calories, 52 g carbs, 10 g fat, 25 g proteins, 7 g fiber

Did you like this Mac n’ Cheese? Try this one; Mac n’ cheese with squash, ham and apples!

Healthy Mac N’ Cheese is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
Copyright © Nautilus Plus 2012