Super-Creamy Mac & Cheese
6
Points®
Total time: 1 hr 30 min • Prep: 45 min • Cook: 45 min • Serves: 8 • Difficulty: Easy
When you think of mac and cheese, does your mind go to puréed vegetables? If not, this recipe might make you think again. Here, we've used puréed cauliflower and carrots to add a wonderful creaminess to the sauce, which in turn creates a lightened up version of this beloved American classic. It still has the best parts of the traditional recipe, too: breadcrumbs, loads of cheese, and, of course, macaroni. However, in our Super Creamy Mac and Cheese, we've used WW Cheese as the base, and you'll also get part of your daily vegetable intake! It's the best of both worlds.
Ingredients
Salted butter
1 tsp
WW Reduced fat shredded Mexican style blend cheese
½ cup(s)
Panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup(s)
Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 Tbsp
Cauliflower
1 head(s), large, (2 lbs)
Carrots
4 medium, thinly sliced
Fat free reduced sodium vegetable broth
1 cup(s)
Whipped cream cheese
¼ cup(s)
Dijon mustard
1½ tsp
Gruyère cheese
1½ oz, shredded (1/4 cup)
Table salt
1 tsp
Hot pepper sauce
¼ tsp
Uncooked macaroni
8 oz
Cooking spray
2 spray(s)
Instructions
1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a large saucepot of salted water to a boil.
2
Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; add panko and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 4 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and let cool; stir in Pecorino and set aside.
3
Cut 3 cups small florets from cauliflower; set aside. Cut remaining cauliflower (including stem) into 2-inch pieces. Add cauliflower pieces and carrots to boiling water; cook until very tender, 10–12 minutes.
4
Meanwhile, combine broth, cream cheese, mustard, 1/4 c Cheddar, Gruyère, salt and pepper sauce in a large blender. With a large slotted spoon, transfer cooked vegetables to blender; puree into a creamy sauce.
5
Add pasta to same pot of boiling water; cook half the time of package directions, adding reserved cauliflower florets during last minute of cooking. Drain pasta and cauliflower; return to pot and stir in pureed sauce.
6
Coat a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish with cooking spray; spoon pasta mixture into prepared pan in an even layer. Sprinkle dish with remaining 1/4 c Cheddar and reserved crumb mixture; bake until golden on top, 25–30 minutes.
7
Serving size: 1 cup
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