I know you don’t believe me, that this dish can feed your mac and cheese craving while keeping things lower in fat. But this is it! I adapted it from the weight watcher cookbook. My angsty 15-year-old ate all the leftovers, not knowing it was healthier.
So that’s something!
Healthier Mac & Cheese with Caramelized Onion
Ingredients:
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
1 tsp. salt, divided
16 oz. macaroni
2 15 oz can evaporated fat-free milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. water
1 tsp granulated garlic
4 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups low fat cottage cheese
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. black pepper
4 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450˚. Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with olive oil, then toss the sliced onions with 1/2 tsp salt, then lightly spray the onion with olive oil and toss. Bake, tossing once and maybe spraying the onions one more time as they brown up-about 20 minutes. Cool them down and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to package directions in a large saucepan. Drain and return to the pan. Set aside.
In another saucepan, cook the evaporated milk just until warm. Remove from heat. Add a tablespoonful or two of the warm milk to the cracked eggs and whisk, bringing up the temperature of the eggs. Next, whisk in the two eggs to the milk in the pan. In a small ramekin, mix the water with the dried mustard until smooth, then add it to the milk and eggs. Add the granulated garlic, and whisk.
Add the milk mixture, the shredded cheese, and the cottage cheese to the macaroni in the pot. Add another 1/2 tsp. salt and ground pepper to taste and mix well. Return the pot or pan to the heat and mix and cook, until mixture is thick and cheese is melted.
Transfer cheesy macaroni to the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the brown onions on top, and bake until just heated through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
Photo How-To
Flora is an award-winning creative director in Chicago turned food and lifestyle blogger extraordinaire. She is also author to the popular BEE NATIVE! gardening book series and various children's books that celebrate the wonder and hard work of bees and butterflies. Her blog and social spaces inspire thousands to create, learn, cook, grow, and craft, making their world lovelier one pixel/petal/seed/bite/stitch/brushstroke at a time. Follow her on all the social spaces, YouTube, and Amazon, and get creative!
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