Mac and Cheese

Tonight for dinner I made Macaroni and Cheese 1 from the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook. Can you tell that I love that cookbook? I made some alterations to the original recipe to suit our tastes. It came out really good and I love that there is a hidden veggie in it!



Here is my altered version of the recipe:
Macaroni and Cheese

I Box Elbow Macaroni
2 T Olive Oil
2 T AP Flour
2 Cups Skim Milk
1 Cup Butternut Squash Puree (Or you can use Cauliflower)
3 Cups + 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 block of Cream Cheese (8 oz)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic Salt
1/2 Cup Homemade Croutons (See recipe a few posts below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander.

2. While pasta is cooking place a large sauce pan over medium heat. When heated add oil and flour, cook stirring constantly until the mixture resembles a thick paste but is not browned.

3. Add the milk and cook stirring occasionally until mixture begins to thicken. Add the puree, 3 cups cheddar, and cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Season to taste. Stir Pasta into sauce and pour into a 9x13 in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

4. In a ziplock bag crush 1/2 cup homemade croutons. Mix leftover cheese with the croutons and sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake for 20-30 minutes depending on how brown you like the top.

Enjoy! Another way to make Mac and Cheese a little healthier is to add in some cooked broccoli to the Mac and Cheese. Or if you are going to be baking it you can put sliced tomatoes on the top and then bake it. That is super good but Brian doesnt like tomatoes.... I am working on him though :)