Mac and Cheese (that's actually healthy!)

 Happy Monday!
It's time for Marvelous in my Monday with Katie

I love me some mac and cheese. Oh boy do I.

But mac and cheese is notorious for not being that good for you so I was super excited when my favorite healthy chef, Ellie Krieger, had a recipe for mac and cheese. The secret? Squash to replace most of the cheese. It's aaaaamazing.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

Recipe by Ellie Krieger from The Food You Crave

Serves 8--serving size: 2 cups

One 16-ounce box elbow macaroni

Two 10-ounce packages frozen pureed winter squash

2 cups lowfat milk

1 1/3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

2/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray

2. Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and transfer back to pot.

3. Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted.

Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard, and cayenne.

Pour this mixture into the pot with the pasta and stir. Transfer to the baking dish.

4. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and oil in a small bowl. 

Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crispy and nicely browned.

Nutritional facts per serving: 

Calories: 390

Total fat: 11 g

Protein: 18 g

Carb: 56 g

Fiber: 3.5 g

Chol: 35 mg

Sodium: 547 mg

How is it:

This mac and cheese is so freaking good. You get a huge portion and it's not bad for you. It's a little sweet form the squash, but it's so creamy and the breadcrumbs on top are nice and crunchy. You don't realize there's only 2 1/2 cups of cheese in this whole thing. Definitely try it, it's delicious!