Lower Carb Mexi-Mac and Cheese

Whenever the weather gets cold I crave two things, soup and macaroni and cheese.  When I first started cutting processed carbs out I thought pasta was a "no no" good, but then I found Dreamfields Healthy Carb Living pasta with only 5 net carbs per serving! It tastes just like regular pasta, but is made from some type of special wheat that keeps blood sugar from spiking.  Pretty great stuff, but still  high in calories, so it can't be a weekly treat.  I wanted to be able to have a nice portion with this and up the veggies, so I included chopped cauliflower in with the pasta while it boiled.

If you aren't into the low-carb thing then just use regular pasta.  I did this and made my mac and cheese and then a pan for my hubby with no cauliflower and with regular pasta.  You could also make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth.

Hope you enjoy!
Kate

It shows the same amount of carbs, but your body only processes 5 grams with each serving.  Just make sure you cook it al dente!

Ingredients

1 box Dreamfields Healthy Carb Living pasta (I used penne)

1 head of cauliflower, cored and chopped

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup white, whole wheat flower

4 cups chicken stock (or veggie broth)

2 cups milk (any kind)

1 cup nonfat greek yogurt

6 cups shredded cheese with 1 cup reserved for topping- your choice, use it as a change to clean out your fridge!  I used sharp, aged white cheddar, pepper jack, Queso Fresco Quesadilla cheese, and a Mexican cheddar blend.  If you use a variety of cheeses then you will get a better flavor. 

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 poblano chiles, diced and seeds removed

3 fresno chiles (or any other mild chile pepper), chopped and seeds removed

1tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chili powder

8 cloves of garlic, minced

8 green onions, chopped (or one medium onion chopped)

1 cup of chopped cilantro (optional)

salt and pepper

Lime wedges for garnish

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large casserole dish.  

2.  In a large saute pan, saute the peppers, onion, and garlic until they are soft and translucent.  Make sure you lightly season with salt and pepper. 

3.  Boil the pasta and chopped cauliflower until the pasta is al dente.  Drain and set aside.

4.  In the same pan melt 1 stick of butter, scraping the pan with a whisk.  Add in the flour and cook until it is light brown.  Add in the spices and toast in the pan.  Whisk in the chicken broth and milk.  Cook until slightly thickened and then add in the yogurt.  Slowly add in the cheese, stirring until it is melted.  Add in the cooked pepper mixture and the 1 cup of cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper.

After the spices are added

5.  Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and cauliflower, top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until it is browned and bubbly.  Serve with lime wedges, they REALLY help cut through the cheese and makes it bright and yummy!

Before

After.. I had 2 dishes because I did a dish of regular pasta without any cauliflower for my hubby.