Homemade Mac and Cheese- Help!

crysmiss86
crysmiss86 Posts: 67 Member
edited September 24 in Recipes
I love Mac and Cheese, but I have no willpower to stop myself from eating the whole box. I don't like the one serving ones either, too grainy. My question is, does anyone have a good homemade mac and cheese recipe that I can make? Something around 200 cals a helping?

Thanks!

Replies

  • HannahPastoor
    HannahPastoor Posts: 303
    Bump!
  • u04lj7
    u04lj7 Posts: 5
    I love Macaroni Cheese too! It isnt nearly as tasty but if you bring some skimmed milk (approx 1/2 pint say) to the boil then add some cornflour mixed with cold water it will give you your white sauce (and add salt, pepper and mustard to your taste) then add low fat cheese that you like, mature chedder is best so you can use less! mix with ur pasta and hey presto! I've never added up the calories for it because I havent made it since I started MFP but because you use only a small amount of flour and no butter, and skimmed milk it makes it much less calories than making a roux with butter and plain flour. I think as well if u like a topping, breadcrumbs or crushed up crisps make a good topping if u put it in the oven! Better than more cheese! Hope thats helpful :)
  • conawayk
    conawayk Posts: 5
    Cookinglight's/My Recipes website has a creamy stove-top macaroni and cheese recipe that has 252 calories per 1.5 cup serving. Haven't tried it, but I have done lots of recipes from that site that are good. They have several other mac n cheese recipes that are 320 calories and up.
  • radicalreader
    radicalreader Posts: 207 Member
    Here's the recipe for mac+cheese from Hungry Girl. I haven't tried it, but it sounds yummy and I like most of her recipes.

    Please Cheese Me
    Our mac 'n cheese doesn't need to be a fluorescent shade of orange to stand up to the competition. It tastes AMAZING, and it's as simple as A-B-C, 1-2-3, Do-Re-Mi. (P.S. The cheesy cauliflower works perfectly here -- trust us!)
    Ingredients:
    6 cups (about 24 oz.) frozen Green Giant Cauliflower & Cheese Sauce
    2 cups uncooked Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Rotini Pasta (or another whole-wheat or whole-wheat-blend pasta)
    3 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
    Optional: salt and black pepper, to taste

    Directions:
    Prepare pasta according to the instructions on the box, and then drain well and set aside. While pasta is cooking, place contents of the cauliflower & sauce package in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 12 - 16 minutes, until sauce has melted and cauliflower is hot.

    Once the bowl is cool enough to handle, remove it from the microwave and add cooked pasta. Set aside. Unwrap cheese wedges and place in a small microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, and then add to the bowl.

    Mix thoroughly, ensuring that the Laughing Cow cheese is evenly distributed and the pasta and cauliflower are coated in cheese sauce. If you like, season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

    MAKES 4 SERVINGS


    Serving Size: 1 cup
    Calories: 202
    Fat: 4.5g
    Sodium: 825mg
    Carbs: 36g
    Fiber: 5g
    Sugars: 6g
    Protein: 8.5g

    PointsPlus™ value 5*
  • smareeh
    smareeh Posts: 117 Member
    •2 cups Small Pasta (Shells, Elbow Or Piccolini)
    •1 Tablespoon Butter
    •1 Tablespoon Flour
    •¾ cups Milk
    •½ cups Butternut Squash Puree
    •1-½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese
    •2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
    •½ teaspoons Salt
    •⅛ teaspoons Pepper
    •⅛ teaspoons Paprika
    Preparation Instructions
    Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add pasta and cook until pasta is tender (about 7 to 10 minutes). Strain and set aside.

    Melt butter over medium low heat in a saucepan and add the flour. Whisk and cook for 2 minutes. It will resemble a paste.

    Slowly add milk. Whisk until combined. Next add everything thing else. Stir until combined.

    Add sauce to the pasta and stir!

    Note: If you can’t find butternut squash puree, simply cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place face down on a oven safe dish. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes at 400°. Allow to cool. Scoop the “meat” from the skin and place in a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.

    And you can of course sub whole wheat pasta in
  • sensiblejeans
    sensiblejeans Posts: 5
    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Got-Some-Crust-Macaroni-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx

    I've made this recipe a couple times and it's a big hit - it's 286 calories per serving (although it's hard for me to eat just one serving!)

    I would suggest using less bread crumbs than it calls for.
  • emilysebastian
    emilysebastian Posts: 245 Member
    This recipe from Fitness is pretty good in my opinion, and it's 267 per serving: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/healthy-mac-n-cheese/

    I love Greek Yogurt as a sub for creamy/dairy stuff!
  • MrsWendyQ
    MrsWendyQ Posts: 125 Member
    Best mac n cheese ever is my Grammy's recipe! And, it uses no milk and no butter so it's so much better for you!

    Honestly I have no idea the measurements of things, when I make this I generally eyeball everything, so you'll have to forgive me.

    cook elbow macaroni (maybe 8 oz) & drain

    place into a casserole pan lightly sprayed w/ baking spray

    add about 16-24oz of your favorite cheese roughly cut into cubes (here's where you can make a difference by more or less cheese along w/ your own personal choice in the cheese)

    add tomato juice (I think I usually use the size cans that are about the size of a soda can, sometimes I add a bit more...it should be juicy)

    add some diced parsley if you have it or dried works well too, along w/ salt & pepper to your liking

    stir & bake @ 400deg long enough for the cheese to melt, I generally remove then and stir a bit

    continue baking until browned to your liking

    This has always been my favorite! My Gram has made it for me especially everytime we have a family function...it is sooooo good!!!:happy:
  • kevanos
    kevanos Posts: 304 Member
    by mac an cheese do you mean the Kraft dinner kind?

    the mac an cheese I`m used to is maccaroni pasta, whole tomato, tomato juice, then topped with mozzerella and broiled. It`s good, but not decadent. The kraft dinner stuff way too processed for me tho.
  • crysmiss86
    crysmiss86 Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks! I will def try each and every one of these until I find one that can minimize my mac and cheese cravings.
  • foreverjade
    foreverjade Posts: 213 Member
    I have made it from skinnytaste.com website. it was DELICIOUS, and i think about 270 for a cup.
  • Diem30
    Diem30 Posts: 92
    bump!
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,240 Member
    This recipe is ridiculously delicious!

    Classic Baked Reduced-Fat Macaroni and Cheese

    1 (8-oz.) package elbow macaroni
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    2 cups milk
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    1 (7-oz.) block Kraft sharp reduced fat (2%) cheddar cheese, shredded and
    divided

    1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Keep warm.
    2. Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking
    constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from
    heat. Stir in salt, black and red pepper, half the shredded cheese, and cooked pasta.
    3. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining cheese.
    4. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  • RAYWMS
    RAYWMS Posts: 1
    Boy you have set the bar high. First the cheese and any home make mac and cheese is loaded with fat either from the milk, fat etc. Your best bet is to make a reduced calorie white sauce with fat free milk, fat free cheese and reduce the amout of butter you make the dish with. Delete the bread crumbs and reduce your portion size will get you closer to where you want to go but how close you will have to run the ingredients. I just looked in my WW cook box and they have a mac and cheese recipe that has 299 cal, 9g of fat and 353mg sodium. The recipe is for six servings.

    Look for WW New complete Cookbook page 297. :smile:
  • SoldierWife99
    SoldierWife99 Posts: 75
    bumpity bump bump! Theese recipes look spectacular!
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,240 Member
    This recipe is ridiculously delicious!

    Classic Baked Reduced-Fat Macaroni and Cheese

    1 (8-oz.) package elbow macaroni
    2 tablespoons butter
    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    2 cups 1% milk
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    1 (7-oz.) block Kraft sharp reduced fat (2%) cheddar cheese, shredded and
    divided

    1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Keep warm.
    2. Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking
    constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from
    heat. Stir in salt, black and red pepper, half the shredded cheese, and cooked pasta.
    3. Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining cheese.
    4. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

    I neglected to indicate I used 1% milk. It was too late for me to edit my post, so I edited it in the above quote. Where there's a will, there's a way. :bigsmile:
  • buckywaters
    buckywaters Posts: 8
    This is a recipe for four large, insanely delicious dinner-sized portions, so if you're just looking for a snack, you may want to divide this out into 8 portions instead (in a muffin tin, maybe?).

    Mac and Cheese
    Serves 4
    Calories per serving: 517

    • 2 cups multigrain elbow macaroni
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 1/2 cup skim milk, warmed for 1 minute in the microwave, or heated on stove
    • 8 ounces low-fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 1/4 cups)
    • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • Pinch of pepper
    • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
    • 1/4 cup Panko crumbs or whole-wheat bread crumbs (you can make your own by chopping a slice of whole-wheat bread in the food processor)


    1. Preheat the broiler.

    2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

    3. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly until golden, about 2 minutes. Continue whisking and add the milk in a slow, steady stream. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer, whisking constantly, and whisk until thickened, about 2 minutes.

    4. Drain the pasta in a colander. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the cheese, and stir until the cheese melts. Immediately add the hot, drained pasta and stir until well-coated. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

    5. Divide the mac and cheese among four 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins and sprinkle 1 tablespoon bread crumbs over each. Broil until crumbs are golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes, taking care not to let the top burn. Serve immediately.
  • maryrunslikeafox
    maryrunslikeafox Posts: 136 Member
    bump
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