Recipe for Delicious, Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Notes and Substitutions:

• Cheddar cheese: you can actually use any kind of hard or semi-hard cheese—it depends on what flavour you like. Traditionally "old" or "extra old" cheddar is best, but you can certainly use "medium" or even "mild" cheddar, especially if you don't like the flavour of strong cheddar cheese. However, if you use a very mild cheese (like mozzarella or mild cheddar), you run the rise of having no cheese flavour at all. In this case, I'd suggest stirring in half a cup of grated Parmesan, Romano, or Asiago cheese to provide some flavour. Please note that half a pound (225 gms) of cheese is equivalent to about 2 cups (=500 ml) of grated cheese. You can often buy the cheese already grated; however, it's usually more expensive that way. If you don't like the effort of grating, or don't own a grater, you can cut the cheese into small cubes and use it that way.
• Macaroni: you can use any type of pasta for this recipe. However, the bigger the pieces, the longer they take to cook through. Elbow macaroni is idea, but any other fairly small-sized pasta works just as well. Some people will use whole-wheat pasta, for a healthier alternative. Personally, I don't like the taste of whole wheat, but if you decide to use whole wheat, I suggest that you also use a strong-tasting cheese (like "extra old" Cheddar or Parmesan), which can cover just about any flavour.
• Oil: you can use any kind of light-tasting cooking oil—I personally use light olive oil. You can also use melted butter. Melt 1 stick of butter (=¼ lb.=110 grams) on very low heat in the bottom of the saucepan and continue as recipe below indicates.
• Flour: use regular unsifted all-purpose white flour.
• Milk: for a richer taste, substitute light cream. For fewer calories, use skim milk.
• Mustard: I always use Dijon mustard, because I like the "bite", but you can use ordinary yellow mustard. Another alternative: ½ tsp. (=2ml) dry mustard.
• Broccoli: you can substitute almost any frozen vegetable. I recommend peas, green beans, cauliflower, or mixed vegetables.
• Scallions: you can substitute a few stalks of chives, finely chopped.

Tools:

Directions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients: grate the cheese, measure out the macaroni, flour, milk, oil, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and salt (2 amounts). Put each ingredient in a small bowl or other container. This way everything is ready to go as needed.
2. In the medium saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat for about 4 - 6 minutes (depending on whether you have a gas or an electric stove).
3. Remove pan from heat. Add flour, pepper, and 1 tsp. (=5 ml) salt. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
4. Add milk a small amount at a time, stirring well with the whisk after each addition. Then, leave this to one side.
5. Now fill large saucepan with about 4 cups (one litre) of water. Add 1 Tbsp. (=15 ml) salt. Put on high heat. When water comes to a rolling boil, go to instruction #10.
6. Put medium saucepan (containing the milk & flour sauce) back on medium burner, and heat for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add mustard & Worcestershire sauce and stir well.
8. Start to add the grated cheese in small amounts. Stir well after each addition.
9. When all the cheese has been added, remove saucepan from burner.
10. When water in large saucepan has come to a rolling boil, add the macaroni. After half a minute, stir with wooden spoon so that macaroni doesn't form a big clump. Turn down the heat to medium or medium-high (whatever keeps it gently bubbling). Stir again evey 5 minutes.
11. How long do you cook the macaroni? Follow the package directions. If there are no directions, set your timer for 7 minutes. When the timer goes off, fish one of the macaroni noodles out, let it cool for 15 seconds and taste it. If it tastes too crunchy for you, let it cook for 2 more minutes. Now taste it. Keep doing this, until the texture is right.
12. When the macaroni is cooked, add the frozen broccoli (or other frozen vegetables), turn the burner up to high, and put the lid on the saucepan.
13. When steam starts coming out strongly from under the lid, turn off the burner, and let sit for a couple of minutes.
14. Put collander into sink. Pour the macaroni & broccoli into the collander and strain off all the water.
15. Return macaroni & broccoli to the large saucepan. Add the cheese sauce and stir gently.
16. If desired, add the chopped scallions.

Disclaimer: while these recipes are the result of years of experience and/or lots of research, in the end they are just my personal preference. If you try something I suggest and it doesn't work for you, please don't sue me — I guarantee nothing. Best of luck!

Page created and maintained by A. Steinbergs

Last modified: November 28, 2011