Low-fat mac and cheese

I'm a sucker for macaroni and cheese, it's one of my favorite things. While I have made a handful of fancy versions, I will sometimes crave the Kraft blue box stuff as well.

The main problem being mac and cheese typically isn't that good for you, so when I saw this recipe in the latest Food Network magazine I was intrigued. I made a couple of changes from the original recipe, I used a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and parmesano reggiano instead of mostly muenster. I also used whole wheat elbow pasta instead of shells.

The cauliflower did add a really nice texture to the cheese sauce and a little bit of sweetness which was a good contrast to the sharpness of the cheddar. This recipe has a lot of potential, you could add a little Canadian bacon for some protein or maybe some spinach or other vegetables and keep is veggie friendly. I might make this for turducken this year for the vegetarians in attendance.

And yes, I need to start taking more pictures, will try to remember.

Another mac and cheese recipe

I want to make very badly.

Kicked up mac and cheese

First, a word about Emeril. I'm not necessarily a big fan of his schtick. I don't make a point of watching his show but I have to say he has some damn good recipes (I've looked through a lot of them). I believe this is the first recipe of his I made and I was really happy with how it turned out. Although I didn't follow the recipe exactly.

I used a whole pound of elbow macaroni (whole wheat in a very small attempt to be healthy). I didn't use any anise seeds, didn't have any, and used red pepper flake instead of cayenne pepper. I also didn't make any essence of Emeril, though I did take some of those spices and toss them in where needed. As for the cheese I used some smoked cheddar and colby.

This wasn't my first time making mac and cheese from scratch and each time I have had issues with the roux, the butter and flour mixture that thickens the cheese sauce. Do I not let it cook up enough? Should I mix it more? Is my heat too high or too low? I'm not sure but it has never worked out like the recipe said it should. Please post a comment if you have any suggestions.

With the pork sausage I expected the finished dish to be a little greasy but it wasn't at all. I did let the cooked pork sausage drain for a good while, and there was actually very little fat left in the pan. When cooking the pepper and onions it began to stick a bit and I deglazed the pan with a little of New Belgium's Winter Ale.

In all I have to say this was probably the best mac and cheese recipe I've made. The others weren't nearly as creamy. I also like the pepper and onion addition, though if I were going to make it again I would probably add some more spices, in particular red pepper flakes. It had a little heat but not enough for my personal taste.

I want to eat bad food

It's been a long day of writing and spinning my wheels. I've gotten a lot done but don't feel like it was enough. Work overall has been stressful lately and when I am under stress I want to eat food that's bad for me, yeah I know that's typical. But I haven't been getting to the gym like normal and should hold off, but I don't want to.

Also, since Rory is working late and I'm just cooking for myself I can do whatever I want, which means I may cook this recipe Kicked Up Sausage Macaroni and Cheese. I'll let you know how it goes.