Tag Archives: pasta

Mac and Cheese now with covert veggies

Posted on January 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

Yes, I messed with that classic, the precious macaroni and cheese. Yes, I added vegetables. Hear me out though! Years ago kraft came out with a healthier mac that included cauliflower in its sauce. I tried it, it was ok…except that cauliflower upsets my tummy. Notice you don’t see me using it much? Well, I finally got to thinking there must be a better way. After a bit of playing around I have found it. I was torn for awhile between pumpkin and carrot,  but in the end carrot won. Mostly because I used up all my pumpkin making all my other delectable treats.

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  • 227 grams high fibre dry macaroni
  • 370 grams carrots, cut into chunks (I just washed them and left peels on)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
  • 1 cup light shredded cheese (I blended some cheddar and mozzarella but have fun trying out new things, I would include a sharp cheese in the blend though)
  • 1/4 cup light shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbl light cheddar cheese spread
  • 3 tbl shredded romano or parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven 375F and spray a 9×9 baking dish.
  2. Cook the pasta as directed to al dente, drain and reserve 1 cup of liquid.
  3. Place carrots in a microwave safe container. Add 1/2 cup water. Microwave for 4 minutes or until soft. Add reserved water from the pasta and puree until smooth.
  4. Add the carrot puree to the pasta and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until the “sauce” thickens.
  5. Reduce heat to low and add the mustard powder, 1 cup of shredded cheese blend, cheese spread and romano/parmesan cheese. Stir until creamy and season to taste.
  6. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with the 1/4 cup light cheddar cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling.

Serves 4. Each serving contains 338 calories, 8.2 grams fat, 53.3 grams carbs, 2.6 grams fibre, 17 grams protein. A great comfort food, I forgot about the carrots in it after the first bite and just carried on loving a creamy noodle dish of num. A little side salad and you have accomplished so many of your daily veggies or better yet cut this into smaller pieces and have it as a side dish. A 6 serving side dish is 225 calories, 5.4 grams fat, 35.6 grams carbs, 1.7 grams fibre, 11.3 grams protein.

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Craving Buster, Dinner, Sidedish

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Turkey Smokie Spaghetti Pie

Posted on December 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

I’m not the hugest of pasta fans but sometimes, you need that pasta pick me up. Instead of doing the same old pasta with tomato sauce though I thought I’d liven it up with a bit of pie action. There is just something about cold weather that says “hey. lets make a pie” to me. It definitely made for a pretty pasta presentation…hehe…took me a few tries to say that one quickly. I definitely think I will be making this one again sometime. The turkey smokies in this really give it an awesome kick.

  • 4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked
  • 4 egg whites, divided
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
  • 1 tbl italian spice
  • 4 ounces italian turkey smokies, hot or mild depending on personal taste
  • 3/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped red peppers (optional)
  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the directions for al dente pasta. Drain. Transfer the pasta to a bowl and combine with 2 egg whites and parmesan cheese. Press the pasta mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie plate.
  2. Blend the cottage cheese until smooth. Stir in the remaining egg whites and italian seasoning. Spread the cheese mixture into the bottom of your spaghetti crust like so:
  3. Dice the smokies.
  4. Heat a skillet to medium. Add the sausage and red peppers (if you choose to use them). Cook and stir the sausage until no longer pink and a bit browned. Stir in the tomato sauce and heat thoroughly, stir occasionally. Spoon the tomato sauce on top of the cheese filling:
  5. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, top with the mozzarella, put back in the oven for another 5 minutes. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Should look a bit like this:

This pie makes four servings. Each serving contains 293 calories, 9 grams of fat and 4 grams of fibre. With a side salad you have yourself one filling and comforting meal full of veggie servings too!

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner

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