Lightened up Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower

Ok, so I have been on a bit of a hiatus lately. I have kind of been slacking off, and not experimenting and cooking as much as I was before. I needed a little inspiration. Ok, Ok, I am not even going to lie. I have been spending most of my time pinning recipes, but not trying any of them. Well it stops here! I recently found a really awesome blog through pinterest called Eat Yourself Skinny. The girl that runs this blog is a genius! She has a whole recipe box filled with literally hundreds of lightened up food, including nutrition information and points+ values. As I was scrolling through her recipes, I was really craving mac & cheese and POOF-she's got an incredible lightened version, and I had everything in the house to make it! Let me tell you this recipe is a keeper. You still get all that awesome cheesiness, and creaminess, but with a wholeee lot less calories and fat.

First things first!! Ingredients:

1 (14.5 oz) box Ronzoni Smart Taste elbow macaroni, or penne pasta

1/2 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

4 Tbsp reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. grated sharp cheddar( I used extra sharp white cheddar)

4 oz. fat-free cream cheese

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add macaroni and cauliflower.  Cook until the cauliflower is fork tender. Drain, but reserve a 1/2 cup of the water.  In a separate bowl, combine Italian breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley to make the beautiful topping for this mac & cheese. Set aside, because that we will be the grand finale of this dish

Place the cheddar, cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper in the already heated pot you just used and mix in the macaroni and cauliflower.   Stir until well-combined and cheese is completely melted and ooey, and gooey and amazing-don't forget to add the reserved water from before!

Place in 8 greased ramekins (or a 9x13 baking dish) and top with bread crumb mixture.  Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until bubbling and the crumbs are browned.  Enjoy! ( and trust me, you will enjoy!) The cauliflower works perfectly in this dish, and it is an excellent way to get some extra veggies in your diet!

 

 

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