Low fat/low cal mac and cheese. whitout adding vegetables ?

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I love mac and cheese, but it's unfortunatly fattening. I know a lot of low fat recipe using butternut gourd or cauliflower to loosen the sauce, but it really changes the texture (and the taste) of the mac and cheese. I would love to find a way to enjoy mac and cheese without the funky texture... and the fat.

Anyone here has a great tested recipe to share ?

Replies

  • Foodie711711
    Foodie711711 Posts: 137 Member
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    BUMP!!
  • Sapporo
    Sapporo Posts: 693 Member
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    I eat real mac n cheese once in awhile with veggies (sorry) on the side and sometimes I mix in a can of tuna for protein. Portion size is key, measure out 1/2 cup or 1 cup, whatever you have budgeted in your calories. The only way I have seen any pasta dish lower calorie is sub the regular pasta out for some other kind of noodle (shiratiki or something, spaghetti squash, etc). I find messing with the cheese just makes it not worth it all.
    There is some cheesy flavour substitute called nutritional yeast I haven't tried yet.
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    There is no substitution for mac and cheese. Sadly my best suggestion is just a smaller serving. Eat it slowly and really enjoy it.
  • KombuchaCat
    KombuchaCat Posts: 834 Member
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    There's a really good vegan recipe in the Veganomicon that uses Tofu crumbles and a vegan cheeze sauce.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    I found this recipe on line, but I didn't try it, so don' shoot the messenger. I would use whole grain pasta, instead of the regular one.
    Since the portion is for only 1/4, I guess that we will need to serve it as a side dish with lean protein and vegetables.


    GUILTLESS MAC AND CHEESE

    Ingredients
    8 oz elbow macaroni, dry
    1 tbsp all-purpose flour
    1 cup fat-free milk
    4 oz fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
    2 tsp dried mustard
    salt and pepper
    1 ½ cups fat-free cottage cheese small curd
    3 tbsp fat-free dry bread crumbs
    3 tbsp fat-free grated parmesan or romano cheese
    non-fat cooking spray

    Method
    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick spray or nonstick pan and set aside.
    3. In a large pot, cook macaroni according to directions on package. Drain but do not rinse; set aside.
    4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and 2 tablespoons of milk.
    5. In large saucepan, heat remaining milk until steaming.
    6. Gradually whisk in a little hot milk into bowl with milk flour mixture, just enough to warm mixture up. This will help when whisking flour mixture into pan with hot milk. Pour mix into pan with hot milk and stir over medium heat about 1 minute, or until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat.
    7. Stir in fat-free cheddar cheese, mustard, salt and black pepper; set aside.
    8. In a food processor or blender, puree fat-free cottage cheese until very smooth.
    9. Stir into cheese sauce. Stir in the macaroni. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.
    10. In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and parmesan/romano cheese.
    11. Sprinkle over top of macaroni and cheese.
    12. Bake 40-45 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

    Yield: 6 servings – ¼ cup or 2 oz each

    Nutritional Information:
    Calories…………………..260
    Fat…………………..........1 g
    Protein……………………20 g
  • estjames
    estjames Posts: 76
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    I now have mac and cheese as a splurge (most recently my birthday dinner), in that mind set I also use fancy cheeses to make it more special. Other times when I want to make it less splurgey, I do incorporate vegetables and perhaps a meat to make it more of a casserole. And as the other said, portion control or plan for it throughout your day by eating fewer calories early on in the day and perhaps throwing in an extra workout or workout for a bit longer.
  • estjames
    estjames Posts: 76
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    Oh, another trick that I have done for portion control is to make a large batch of the cheese sauce, but portion it out into single servings and freeze. Then when I have a craving I can make a smaller batch as homemade mac and cheese is a trigger food for me, so me planning on making a larger batch for lunches usually turns into me having a large dinner.
  • yallcallmedeb
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    http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/macaroni-cheese?slideshow=184668 is my favorite mac & cheese recipe and my 6 year old son who would like to live on M&C says that it is better than anyone (restaurant's) elses. I do not use the ham or jalapeno and I put in 1-2 peppers and 1 whole onion. Other than that, I follow the directions :)

    Only negative to it is that by the time you chop the vegetables and if you have to shred the cheese, it takes quite a while to prepare!
  • runs_in_heels
    runs_in_heels Posts: 97 Member
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    I've been subbing out the pasta part for this
    http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/tofu_shirataki.aspx
    (it's a low-cal, low-carb tofu-based subsitute) - if you use lower-fat cheese it sorta balances out.

    trader joe also makes a "guiltless mac & cheese" - it's pretty good & i keep it in my freezer in case of mac & cheesemergency
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    Wow, lots of suggestions !! Thanks to all of you.

    First of all, I always eat my mac and cheese with a side of vegetables (i love them on the side, it's in the sauce that I found them awckward). It's a good way to boost the meal. One of my favorite combo is mac and cheese and vegetable gumbo. Southern fare ! ;)

    I also tried the shirtaki noodle once in a while and it was pretty funny. I love them as vermicelli in soup (like in beef pho), but the only time I put them in mac and cheese, my boyfriend was was gaging and refuse to eat his plate (like a child, I know). So, I'm pretty unsure about trying again...

    It's a pretty good idea to make pre-portionned individuals mac and cheese though. I'll surely do that next time I'm on a mac and cheese crave.

    And last: woah, love the Men's Health recipe (and the whole article !). Thanks a lot !! :)
  • Cravepain
    Cravepain Posts: 63 Member
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    I have never tried this recipe before so I am not sure how it tastes, though I do know a friend that has had the original and said it was very good.
    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/not-yo-mamas-mac-n-cheese-10000001823309/

    I altered it a little to make it a bit more healthy.

    Servings: 8 - 10
    Calories per serving: Smaller portion (Serving of 10) = 242 / Larger portion (Serving of 8) = 315

    Ingredients:
    1 cup Kikkoman Panko (Optional! Without it will remove 220 calories from the entire dish)
    2 cups whole wheat penne
    8 Tbsp Light I can't Believe It's Not Butter!
    1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    2 cups skim milk
    2 1/2 cups Cabot 50% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
    4 oz reduced fat smoked gouda cheese
    12 tsp Kraft shredded parmesan cheese
    1 bay leaf
    1/2 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp ground black pepper

    Preparation:
    1. Preheat the oven to 400.
    2. Bake breadcrumbs in a single layer on baking sheet. 5 - 7 minutes until golden stirring once after 2 1/2 minutes.
    3. Cook pasta following package directions.
    4. Meanwhile, melt butter in dutch oven (Or something similar) over medium heat.
    5. Gradually whisk in flour until smooth. Continuously whisk for 2 minutes.
    6. Gradually whisk in milk, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Continuously whisk for 12 - 14 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
    7. Remove mixture from heat and discard the bay leaf.
    8. In a large heat proof bowl add 16oz of cheddar cheese reserving the rest for later. Add gouda and parmesan cheese.
    9. Gradually pour white sauce over the cheese whisking until the cheese is fully melted and mixture is smooth.
    10. Stir in pasta until blended.
    11. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
    12. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs (Optional!)
    13. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly.

    If you want this to be a no-bake mac and cheese remove the breadcrumbs and prepare as directed above on stove top. Stir pasta and cheese into the white sauce until heated, then serve!
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    Looks good indeed !

    I'll save the recipe... I don't think we have I can't believe it's not butter here in Canada... Any idea for a substitution ?
  • _Mimi_
    _Mimi_ Posts: 233
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    Fiber Gourmet makes a decent mac and cheese. Can order online. I now Amazon sells it, and delivers to Canada.
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
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    Looks good indeed !

    I'll save the recipe... I don't think we have I can't believe it's not butter here in Canada... Any idea for a substitution ?

    We do! At least we do in Manitoba. It's just margarine flavoured with buttermilk to give it that buttery taste. If you can't find it in a store use any margarine, but a butter-flavoured one would mimic the taste best. They make a buttery Becel, for example. The calories and fat are no different than any other margarine.
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
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    Looks good indeed !

    I'll save the recipe... I don't think we have I can't believe it's not butter here in Canada... Any idea for a substitution ?

    We do! At least we do in Manitoba. It's just margarine flavoured with buttermilk to give it that buttery taste. If you can't find it in a store use any margarine, but a butter-flavoured one would mimic the taste best. They make a buttery Becel, for example. The calories and fat are no different than any other margarine.
    Oh wait. I see the recipe calls for light I Can't Believe it's not Butter. Eh. I'm not a fan of light butters/margarines. But again, any "light" spreadable margarine would do. I find them watery, though.
  • kellyallday
    kellyallday Posts: 137 Member
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    Amy's makes a Soy Mac n Cheese that is really good... really. Especially when you've been abstaining for awhile. You can find it in the frozen section by Amy's other dinners, and it's already portioned out, so makes a great cure for a craving emergency:

    http://thehouseofbeck.com/2011/04/08/tastebud-satisfaction-amys-macaroni-soy-cheeze/
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    Thanks Jayliospecky ! Never saw that here in Quebec, but the Becel will be a fine substitution. I ever ate light margarine either (it seems strange for me, margarine isn't supposed to be 100% fat anyway ?), so I'll probably just try to use butter flavored margarine and use less.
  • DaivaSimone
    DaivaSimone Posts: 657 Member
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    I just made the Men's Health mac and cheese and it was fabulous ! I made the recipe mostly as is, except that I use half a box of whole wheat macaroni and half a box of high fiber white pasta instead of only white pasta. I served it with sautéed kale, and we were pretty happy with our meal. A total of 600 calories for the mac and cheese and the side of kale, which is a little bit more then usual, but I made a crazy work out this morning so it's fine. Plus, my boyfriend have plenty of leftovers for his lunchs.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
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    Boil pasta of your choice until just tender (8 mins or so). Toss with half fat creme fraiche, herbs, black pepper and a little dijon mustard. Put in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle the top with parmesan (mixed up with breadcrumbs if you happen to have some), and bake for about 20 mins, until browned. Enjoy - I love it with a tomato salad.