Reduced Fat Macaroni and Cheese (Cook's Country)

"Most recipes for reduced-fat macaroni and cheese fall short on taste and texture. This recipe tastes delicious, but isn't nearly as rich. Instead of using whole milk and heavy cream in this recipe, it uses skim milk thickened with a roux. Low-fat cheddar cheese and Parmesan add a complex flavor to the macaroni and cheese without the added fat. Part-skim ricotta cheese adds a creamy texture to this reduced-fat version. By making these substitutions, the calories and fat are cut by more than half. Serves 4 as a main dish, or 6-8 as a side dish. From Cook's Country. http://bit.ly/13oaie8"
 
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Ready In:
50mins
Ingredients:
12
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Toss bread crumbs with butter in small bowl until combined. Set aside.
  • In food processor or blender, process cheddar, Parmesan, and ricotta until no large pieces of cheese remain, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
  • Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Bring 4 quarts water and 1 tbsp table salt (not in ingredient list) to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add macaroni and cook until tender, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain macaroni and leave in colander.
  • In now-empty Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add flour and mustard and cook, whisking to combine ingredients, until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk and Tabasco, if using, and bring to full boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking frequently, until mixture becomes slightly thicker than heavy cream, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon salt until cheese is melted. Add pasta and cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat, until mixture is steaming, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Transfer mixture to broiler-safe 8-inch-square baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Broil until crumbs are deep golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes, rotating pan if necessary for even browning. Cool 2 minutes. Serve.

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I'm a 48 y/o gay Jewish man in the suburbs immediately north of New York City. I'm a general internist, practicing and teaching at a medical college north of NYC. I also earned a Masters in Public Health degree in 2013. After a Walt Disney World trip in Dec 2006 where I had to rent an electric scooter because I couldn't manage the walking, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which was done Feb 28, 2007. I lost 160 lbs (though I've gained back about 60 of that since). I can't eat as much as I used to, so I want every bite to be extra good!
 
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