Friday, November 14, 2008

Macaroni and Cheese made sneaky style!

I found a great recipe for homemade Mac and Cheese off the Food Network. It's made with frozen pureed squash and it's delicious. It comes out really creamy and you can sneak a veggie in there for your little ones. Personally, I needed to add just a little more salt for taste. Definitely buy the extra sharp cheddar for that kick. Depending on the size of your family, I was able to freeze and make 2 more meals out of this dish. We have our mac and cheese as a side dish. I just grill some chicken to go along. Enjoy!

* Cooking spray
* 1 pound elbow macaroni
* 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
* 2 cups 1 percent low fat milk
* 4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
* 2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
* 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon powdered mustard
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
* 1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a 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 heat and stir in the Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

From Freezer
Place in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25 minutes.

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