Healthy Baked Mac & Cheese

Nothing tastes like Mac and Cheese except the real thing. That said I love this recipe http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2012/11/creamy-butternut-squash-macaroni-cheese.html It doesn't taste like Kraft but its pretty darn good. If you don't have the fancy cheese it comes out fine with parmesan and cheddar. I usually skip the pankco cause I don't bake it. I just throw it all together on the stove and eat it when its hot. I cook for myself so don't like to wait for stuff to look pretty.

I don't have a specific recipe but I've used cauliflower in place of some of the pasta, added broccoli, cut the cheese to half regular cheese and half full fat and been happy with them all. I think mac and cheese is a personal preference dish, everyone likes it differently so I say work up your own recipe to get it just how you like it.
You can also mix in fat free cream cheese and plain greek yogurt, makes it a little creamier just cut back on the milk and butter a bit.

Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese
Servings 8
calories per serving 390

Ingredients

13.25 oz dry Whole Grain (51% Whole Wheat) - Rotini
3.00 Tbsp Margarine - Sticks
3.00 tsp Butter - Unsalted
3.00 tbsp(s), All-purpose Unbleached White Flour
0.10 tsp, Ground White Pepper
3.00 cup (250ml), Fat Free Milk
0.75 cup, Natural, Finely Shredded Cheese - Mild Cheddar
3.00 ounce, Italian Five Cheese Blend (Shredded)
1.00 package (10 oz), Spinach - Frozen, chopped or leaf, unprepared
1.00 Tbsp, Oil
12.00 piece, Tomatoes - Sun-dried, packed in oil, drained
1.00 cup, Japanese Style Panko Pain
1.50 tbsp, Spices - Paprika
4.00 Tablespoon, Diced White Onion

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add rotini and ook for 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of margerine and add the onions. Add the flour and pepper and mix until mixture is pasty and forms a roux. Whisk milk into pan incorporating the roux. Bring to a simmer over low heat and allow to thicken; about 5 minutes. Once thickened, whisk in the cheeses. Add the pasta and mix until the pasta is well coated. Fold in spinach, sun-dried tomato oil, and sun-dried tomatoes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, turn heat off and add bread crumbs and paprika. Mix well to combine.

Pour rotini into a casserole dish large enough to hold the pasta. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and place in oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until brown and bubbling.

Nutrition Facts
Servings 8.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 390
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14 g
Saturated Fat 6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 23 mg
Sodium 302 mg
Potassium 375 mg
Total Carbohydrate 51 g
Dietary Fiber 7 g
Sugars 7 g
Protein 17 g
Vitamin A 109 %
Vitamin C 24 %
Calcium 32 %
Iron 16 %