Veggie Mac & Cheese

Hi Guys and welcome back!

As many of you guys know from my last post I am a food lover!! I love to cook and experiment with different flavors and cooking styles. I must say that my previous posts were 'Mad Tasty' but that taste was at the expense of my waist line! This go round I have decided to change things up a bit by bringing you meal options for the health conscious eater. Over the past couple of months I have decided to make some life changes and one of those was to seriously cut down on my bad eating habits. Let me tell you it was HARD as hell to get used to! Like most of you the question of the century is "how do I cook and eat the food I love without the guilt?" I hope that my posts will give you some healthy recipes to adapt to your own cooking style and diet. In my posts I have taken the time to provide key nutrition facts and comparisons to the original recipes so you can see how simple changes can make a world of difference in the nutrition of a meal. Please leave comments and try out a recipe or two and let me know how it turned out for you!




















Veggie Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups frozen spinach
• 2/3rd cup frozen mixed veggies
• 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups Simply Smart Milk
• 4oz shredded full fat Jack Cheese
• 2 oz Reduced Fat Mozzarella cheese
• 2 servings Egg Beaters
• 2/3 cup onions
• 2/3rd cup peppers
• 2 Tbls Olive Oil
• 4oz 75% Reduced Fat cheddar cheese
• 4 servings Smart Taste Pasta - Elbows
• 1/2 tsp Adobo Light (reduced sodium
  
• 1/2 tsp Adobo Hot
• 1/2 tsp Sazonador Total
  
• 1 Tbs flour
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg
2. Cook pasta according to directions on box
   
3. Heat 1 1/2 Tbs oil on medium high and add all seasonings and frozen veggies cooking them until thawed, cover and let sit
   
4. In large bowl mix together egg and egg beaters
5. In medium sauce pan heat remaining oil and flour over meduim high heat until pot is nice and hot, stiring constantly
   
6. Slowly whisk in milk and bring to a boil
7. Slowly whisk in the cheddar and the jack cheese remove from heat once it starts to boil
   
8. Pour a small amount of the cheese sauce into your egg mixture making sure to be vigorously whisking the eggs as you pour the hot mixture. Once mixed whisk in remaining sauce and mix thoroughly
   
9. Add veggies and pasta to the large bowl and mix everything together adding Mozzarella at the end right before you pour into baking dish
   
10. Pour everything in medium baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam
11. Baked covered with foil for 15 minutes then uncover and bake for another 7-10 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown
    
12. Cut into 8 servings and let cool for 3-5 minutes before serving

Neutritional Info Per serving, Percentages based on a 2000 calorie diet: Cals: 291 (15%) Fat: 11.4g ( 18%) Sat Fat: 5.69g (28%) Sodium: 498mg ( 2%) Carbs: 30g (10%) Protein: 18.38g (20%) Fiber: 4.75g (28%)

Commentary:
I have made this recipe twice in the past few weeks....its so good! Its makes a great main dish with a salad or a side to some chicken. There are so many things you can do to change the texture/flavor and still keep it healthy. For me the key is to just keep adding loads of new veggies each time I make it. You could also play around with the whole fat cheese, maybe switching it for a hard bold flavor cheese. At first glance you are probably thinking "how is this any healthier then making regular mac and cheese?" The answer comes in two parts: 1) when you make this for yourself you will just see the sheer size of each serving. Each one is enough to have as a main dish with a small salad or steamed veggie. Most mac and cheese servings are only big enough to have as a side. 2) You are eating quality fats, calories and carbs! Please try this recipe and let me know how it turns out for you, enjoy!