Almost Guilt Free Mac and Cheese

Health score
25%
Almost Guilt Free Mac and Cheese
45 min.
8
585kcal
32.9%sweetness
100%saltiness
28.96%sourness
36.41%bitterness
56.84%savoriness
81.96%fattiness
100%spiciness

Suggestions

This Almost Guilt Free Mac and Cheese is a delicious and healthier take on a classic comfort food. It's packed with hidden veggies, protein, and a creamy cheese sauce that will leave you wanting more. With a fraction of the calories and fat of traditional mac and cheese, you can indulge in this dish without the guilt. The roasted cauliflower adds a subtle nutty flavor and the chicken provides a hearty protein boost. The combination of cheeses creates a rich and indulgent sauce that brings everything together. This dish is perfect for a cozy night in or as a side at your next gathering. It's sure to be a hit with both adults and kids alike! You can even add a kick of spice with some Sriracha if you're feeling adventurous. So, if you're looking for a healthier alternative to traditional mac and cheese, this recipe is definitely one to try! It's almost too good to be true, but trust me, it's worth every bite.

Ingredients

  • 0.5 pound elbow macaroni (elbow macaroni or small shells pasta)
  • medium Head cauliflower chopped ( and roasted)
  • pound chicken breast diced (sauteed and )
  • tablespoons olive oil 
  • tablespoons butter divided ()
  • tablespoons flour 
  • tablespoon mustard prepared (could also use Dijon mustard)
  • cups soymilk 
  • medium onion diced yellow finely ( )
  •  bay leaves 
  • 0.5 teaspoon paprika 
  • 0.5  juice of lemon juiced ()
  • 0.3 teaspoon thyme leaves 
  • 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder 
  • 0.1 teaspoon pasilla peppers to taste canned (ground - can use more )
  •  eggs 
  • ounces goat cheese 
  • ounces parmesan shredded
  • ounces swiss cheese shredded (or Swiss cheese)
  • cup panko bread crumbs (or other bread crumbs)
  • servings kosher salt 
  • servings pepper fresh black

Equipment

  • bowl
  • frying pan
  • baking sheet
  • sauce pan
  • oven
  • whisk
  • pot
  • baking pan
  • measuring cup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
  2. For Roasted Cauliflower
  3. Clean core and leaves from cauliflower (you do not have to have any precision when doing this). Chop cauliflower into pieces. Pieces should be roughly 1/2" - 3/4".
  4. Place chopped cauliflower pieces onto a baking sheet.
  5. Drizzle olive oil over top of cauliflower and mix to thoroughly coat pieces.
  6. After 20 minutes, toss cauliflower pieces to brown all sides.
  7. Bake for another 20 minutes or until edges are browned.
  8. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 350 degrees Farenheit.
  9. For Macaroni and Cheese
  10. In a large pot of boiling and salted water, cook pasta until it is al dente. Once done, drain.
  11. In another large saucepan, over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, whisk in flour. Keep whisking to ensure that there are no lumps. After 5-7 minutes, the butter and flour mixture should be a light caramel color.
  12. Add the soy milk, bay leaves, paprika, lemon juice, thyme, garlic powder and Szechuan pepper. Stir occasionally for 10 - 15 minutes. The mixture should thicken up.
  13. Remove bay leaves.
  14. In a medium size bowl thoroughly mix eggs. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, slowly add milk mixture to eggs (temper the eggs). While adding the hot mixture to the eggs, make sure that you keep whisking. Once you have roughly 2 cups of the soy milk mixture in with the eggs, dump everything into the main saucepan and stir.
  15. Add in 3/4 of the shredded cheeses, and all of the goat cheese, and stir to combine.
  16. Add in the cooked, diced chicken and roasted cauliflower. Once these are combined, add the cooked pasta and stir thoroughly.
  17. Season with salt and pepper.
  18. Pour into a 9"x13" baking pan.
  19. Cover with remaining cheese.
  20. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saute pan.
  21. Add panko bread crumbs and stir to coat all of the crumbs with butter.
  22. Top the mac and cheese with the panko crumbs and bake for 30 minutes.
  23. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
  24. If you really want to kick up the heat factor in this, you can add tablespoon of Sriracha hot sauce to the mix.

Nutrition Facts

Calories585kcal
Protein26.14%
Fat47.72%
Carbs26.14%

Properties

Glycemic Index
51.3
Glycemic Load
3.69
Inflammation Score
-8
Nutrition Score
29.927391304348%

Flavonoids

Eriodictyol
0.09mg
Hesperetin
0.27mg
Naringenin
0.03mg
Apigenin
0.03mg
Luteolin
0.1mg
Isorhamnetin
0.69mg
Kaempferol
0.35mg
Quercetin
3.19mg

Taste

Sweetness:
32.9%
Saltiness:
100%
Sourness:
28.96%
Bitterness:
36.41%
Savoriness:
56.84%
Fattiness:
81.96%
Spiciness:
100%

Nutrients percent of daily need

Calories:585.11kcal
29.26%
Fat:30.94g
47.59%
Saturated Fat:15.47g
96.7%
Carbohydrates:38.12g
12.71%
Net Carbohydrates:34.58g
12.58%
Sugar:5.86g
6.52%
Cholesterol:135.99mg
45.33%
Sodium:863.8mg
37.56%
Protein:38.13g
76.25%
Selenium:56.48µg
80.69%
Calcium:600.69mg
60.07%
Phosphorus:541.54mg
54.15%
Vitamin C:43.62mg
52.88%
Vitamin B3:10.53mg
52.66%
Vitamin B6:0.93mg
46.68%
Vitamin B12:2.1µg
34.94%
Vitamin B2:0.59mg
34.62%
Manganese:0.54mg
26.97%
Folate:103.91µg
25.98%
Vitamin A:1209.4IU
24.19%
Vitamin E:3.51mg
23.38%
Copper:0.42mg
21.08%
Potassium:715.65mg
20.45%
Zinc:3.04mg
20.29%
Vitamin B5:1.96mg
19.65%
Vitamin B1:0.29mg
19.03%
Magnesium:66.6mg
16.65%
Vitamin K:15.81µg
15.06%
Iron:2.66mg
14.78%
Fiber:3.53g
14.14%
Vitamin D:1.5µg
9.99%