Monday Meal: Lighten Up!

Well, the weekend is over and work has begun. Well, not in my department - no work, yet...but I am still here and not home in my cozy sewing room listening to Erin Dooley and making bags...I digress.

I found a recipe that I used a few months ago and thought I would share it. I love Macaroni and Cheese! Any kind, any time, don't touch it! My husband knows after five years of marriage that he does not touch my mac and cheese unless I give him the go! I have a wonderful homemade recipe that I found in a Martha Stewart Food Magazine (yum), but is totally artery clogging and guilt inducing. This recipe - Lighten Up - Three Cheese Macaroni is from Food Network and as the title implies, is much lighter. I would not say this is "healthy", but if you love mac and cheese and have a conscience about your heart and waistline...it's a good one to try.

A few notes about the recipe...it uses evaporated milk instead of whole milk. I heard on the radio last week that to lighten up mac and cheese you can use evaporated milk - same taste and texture, less calories. The recipe also calls for muenster cheese and much less cheddar than usual. I read it wrong when I made mine and put in less muenster and more cheddar (oops)...but give it a try. I have heard that using a sharper more tasty cheese (and less of it) works just as well as Emeril's 4 cups (no kidding) of cheddar/monteray jack. For the veggie lovers out there, this recipe also includes cauliflower. The theory is to puree the cauliflower to thicken up the sauce and add some nutrients. I (again) didn't follow the directions and put the cauliflower in small pieces. I would recommend pureeing!!!

FYI - I have also heard that using cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in these baked pasta dishes cuts down unwanted calories. I use cottage cheese in my lasagna and the hubby loves it!!!

So, basically, my notes tell you to FOLLOW THE RECIPE!!!!

Doug liked it - couldn't tell the difference between this and my super-fattening Martha recipe. I thought it was good - minus the cauliflower - as a lowfat alternative, but nothing trumps my Martha!!!!

So, if you have a craving for some comfort carbs, check out this recipe from Food Network. Let me know what you think!!!!