Healthy Mac n’ Cheese

Hi all! Today is Day 1 of two great days of NFL Playoff games and I am excited! Thanks to many of you for tuning into “The Couch” yesterday and for reaching out to me for my mac n’ cheese recipe! And without further ado, here is how to make my Healthy Mac n’ Cheese! Enjoy!

Healthy Mac n’ Cheese

Makes approximately 15 servings

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small chunks

2 cups of butternut squash, cut into small chunks

3 large, fresh sage leaves, minced

Water

Sea salt

Black pepper

1/2 of a 28 gram package of 2% Reduced Fat Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup fontina cheese, shredded

1/2–3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1–2 8oz. boxes of quinoa elbow pasta

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Cook your pasta to al dente un a deep pot filled with boiling water.

While the pasta is cooking, puree the cauliflower in a blender with splashes of water (to help it blend) and boil the squash until soft in another deep pot. Once the squash is soft, drain, put back into the pot and mash until smooth and free of lumps. (You could also throw the squash into the blender and smooth it that way).

Into the pot with the squash, add in the pureed cauliflower, the sage, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir well. Add about 75% of the cheddar cheese (leaving the rest to sprinkle on top of the mac) and all of the fontina. Simmer while stirring until all the cheese is melted in smoothly. Remove from heat.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain, and add into the cheese/veggie mixture. Add any additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Pour into a large casserole dish/Pyrex and top evenly with the remaining cheddar cheese and the Parmesan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. (Do not let the top burn).

Serve and enjoy!