Low Fat Mac & Cheese

I absolutely love Mac and Cheese.

I actually don't know anyone who doesn't like mac and cheese. I will say, sometimes I see things that are over the top that I'm not particularly excited to try, but I feel like you can't go wrong with a good classic mac and cheese.

If you've noticed from our pancake recipes, we try to keep things low fat due to dietary restrictions. I understand that everyone has different dietary needs. For example, if you're on a keto diet, you might want to keep the fats at the usual level in your mac and cheese and swap the pasta for a low carb version.

Greg also loves mac and cheese but he especially loves kraft mac and cheese. I've been dying to make him mac and cheese from scratch, hence the recipe below.

To make the roux, I even used low fat butter. I even used fat free milk, and the cheese sauce was still able to thicken. For the cheeses, the cheddar was low fat, while the gouda was not.

It had been a while since I had made mac and cheese, and putting together this recipe definitely reminded me how easy it is. We have most of the ingredients on hand most days as well!

Making it from scratch seems like a huge undertaking, but I think ultimately I like that I don't have to worry as much about what is in that package of cheese dust.

Greg on the other hand, though he enjoyed this recipe, will definitely reach for a box of kraft everyone once in a while. I'm not even mad. We all have our comfort food of choice.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. of macaroni (or pasta of choice)

• 2 Tbsp low fat butter

• 2 Tbsp flour

• 1 cup fat free milk

• 1 cup low fat shredded cheddar

• 1/2 cup shredded gouda

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• pinch paprika

• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni per directions on the box. Drain and set aside.

2. In same pot, melt butter, and add flour.

3. Cook about one minute, until roux is brown.

4. Add milk, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk to incorporate roux thoroughly. Cook until mixture starts to bubble.

5. Add both cheeses and mix until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth.

6. Add back cooked pasta.

7. Salt to taste.

8. Stir and serve!

Using the brands I found at Aldi and splitting the batch into 6 servings, I calculated about 9 grams of fat per serving! For comparison, one serving of Panera mac and cheese is 62 grams of fat. I'm sure the sodium is also way better, although I wasn't paying too much mind to that.

I'm reminded of how with a little bit of time in the kitchen, we can make a huge difference in the quality of food that we consume.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!