Semi-Virtuous Mac & Cheese

It's January 3. Are you tired of all those eat-right-and-get-in-shape resolution articles and blog posts yet?

You know the ones...

LOSE 10 LBS IN ONE WEEK!

GET RID OF HOLIDAY WEIGHT!

EAT RIGHT - SLIM DOWN!


I'm all for clean eating, especially after the December food fest and merrymaking. And don't forget that little incident back in June, that made us take a serious look at our diet.

But I'm not ready to do anything too drastic, like cut out entire food groups or deprive myself of life's small pleasures. So I made macaroni and cheese.
With a secret ingredient.
Evaporated skim milk.

Using it makes this dish way less indulgent. But no less delicious. In fact, I prefer it to the overly creamy and cloyingly richer recipes. It won't weigh you down. And by finishing it off in the oven, you get all those nice crusty bits on the edge and a delicate crispy top.

True, it's not as virtuous as a salad. But you could serve one on the side, if it makes you feel better.
Or go with roasted Brussels sprouts like we did. They make a surprisingly good complement to the mac & cheese.

Macaroni and (Three) Cheese 
adapted from Food Network Magazine


12 oz. spiral-shaped pasta, such as cavatappi or gemelli

2 Tbsps. unsalted butter + 1 Tbsp. for topping

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. dry mustard

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 12 oz. can evaporated skim milk

1/2 cup whole milk

sea salt

3/4 sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup Fontina cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 scallion, chopped fine and/or 2 Tbsps. chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 400.
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water, until al dente, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 Tbsp. butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave, then stir in panko, garlic powder, remaining Parmesan and scallion and/or parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

 Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Add the flour, mustard, nutmeg and cayenne. Stir with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about one minute. Whisk in both milks with a big pinch of sea salt. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until slightly thickened and creamy,  5-6 minutes. Slowly add the shredded cheddar, Fontina and all but 2 Tbsps. of the Parmesan, whisking until melted. Keep warm.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. Return pasta to the pot along with 1 Tbsp. butter. Add cheese sauce and mix thoroughly, adding some of the reserved cooking water if needed. Turn mac and cheese into a baking dish (approx. 8 x 10"). Top with breadcrumb mixture and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.

You can find this post and lots of other delicious recipes at Full Table Thursdays and Foodie Fridays.