macaroni and cheese

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Harvest Grains Mac and Cheese and Peas

January 20, 2015 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 5 comments

It’s only a few weeks in, but I feel like we have made some big changes in the New Year, including cutting out weekday wine and cooking at home more often. It’s hard. We love food and wine and to go out around Boston and we have well-stocked wine fridge. It’s a constant temptation to stay in line, but I want to be back in shape and feeling more vibrant, so it’s a worthy cause.

We all know that healthier eating can be absolutely delicious. Case in point, this “Mac” and cheese I made last week with Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains, peas. a yummy cheese sauce, and a Ritz Chips topping. No butter involved.

 

shredded cheddar

The success of this healthier mac and cheese like dish comes from sharp cheddar, which comes with lots of flavor. As a result I only used a cup of the shredded cheese. A mix of Kerrygold cheeses would have been great as well.

frozen sweet peas

A veggie component also helped to add to the nutritional value of this dinner. I love sweet peas, and frozen peas are both delicious and a great value.

Harvest Grains Blend   Third, I replaced traditional macaroni with a Harvest Grains Blend, which includes Israeli couscous (one of my favorites), along with lentils and quinoa.

harvest grains blend

Since I wanted a true baked macaroni and cheese feel, I used toasted Ritz Chips, which are lighter than the crackers but super crunchy and yummy and browned up without the addition of butter. But oh how I wanted to melt some butter over the top. . .

Ritz Chips mac and cheese topping

healthy "mac" and cheese healthy mac and cheese

I am pretty much the worst when it comes to actual recipes, but I can tell you I cooked the Harvest Grains according to package directions, in chicken stock. I made about two cups of the grains.

Separately, I mixed in two cups of skim milk with a cup of shredded cheddar and some garlic and truffle oil and simmered until it thickened a little. I mixed the grains and the cheese sauce, added the peas and topped with cracker crumbs and baked at 350 for about 10 minutes. This dish was super easy and SO delicious. We had leftovers for lunch the next day and wished we had more.

It can be a fun challenge to make yummy, healthy dishes for every day, and we are getting back in the swing of things as we go along.

Have you been making an effort to be more healthy in 2015?

Tags: comfort food, cooking at home, Food, macaroni and cheese, recipes, Vegetarian, vegetarian recipes, winter recipes

Bacon Brussels Sprouts Mac + Cheese

March 16, 2011 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 14 comments

File this post under NOT part of my healthy spring challenge! Flavors of bacon and smoky gouda, tangy Kerrygold Reserve Cheddar, caramelized until falling apart Brussels sprouts, and hearty whole wheat pasta come together for the perfect union, Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Macaroni and Cheese. Because, well, it’s still cold out, and comfort food never goes out of style!

Brussels sprouts

Last night I had an AIWF Board meeting so I spent some of my working/job hunting time cooking dinner so that it would be ready at 9:00 when I got home.

First up were the Brussels sprouts, which I tossed in olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. They ended up looking a little burnt, but the flavors were more caramelized than burnt, and the centers were so soft and gooey.

roasted Brussels sprouts

I set the Brussels sprouts aside to cool while I grated the cheese, about four ounces of Kerrygold Reserve and three ounces smoked gouda.

Kerrygold Cheddar

smoked gouda

You’ll notice that the gouda is reduced fat. That was a mistake; I would never buy reduced fat cheese on purpose!

After grating the cheese, I cooked up four slices of turkey bacon. This is from Trader Joe’s, and it is pretty amazing, especially with a fried egg and cheese on an English muffin. Nom.

turkey bacon

While all of this was going on, I was boiling half a bag of whole wheat rotelle pasta.

whole wheat pasta

I chopped up the bacon and Brussels sprouts.

Brussels sprouts

And then I started on my sauce. As with the Guinness beef stew, I started with a roux of butter and flour, then added several cups of skim milk. See, there are some healthy aspects to the recipe!

To the milk and roux I added the cheese and then the cooked pasta, stirring in the bacon and Brussels sprouts last. The mix, as you can see here, was a little milky still, so I grated a bit more smoked gouda and stirred it in.

bacon Brussels sprouts macaroni and cheese

I let it simmer for a little longer, and then ate a bowl for lunch with a side of beets and kale. I originally planned on topping this with buttered bread crumbs and baking it, but I opted not to at the end. There’s probably enough cheese and butter in this baby. Smile 

Happy Wednesday! I decided yesterday that my birthday weekend is starting tomorrow with the 60 degree weather predicted. Bring it!

Tags: bacon, brussels sprouts, cooking, dinner, easy, Food, macaroni and cheese, recipe, whole wheat pasta

The Obvious Choice

December 12, 2010 in Food, recipe by traveleatlove | 26 comments

When life (or Kerrygold) gives you lots of butter and cheese, the obvious choice is to make a soul-warming, cozy dish of homemade baked macaroni and cheese.

I am not lying when I say I have a lot of butter and cheese. After a long run in the most bitter of temperatures on Thursday, I came home to a big box that included this.

Kerrygold butter

Yes, 20 bars of Kerrygold butter! And 10 blocks of various cheeses, Kerrygold shopping bags, and a gorgeous Newbridge silver cheese knife. How nice is that?! Smile

Kerrygold Dublin and Aged Cheddar

I will be picking a winner for the Kerrygold giveaway tonight, so enter and spread the word if you haven’t already!

Kerrygold butter

To make my mac and cheese, I consulted a few online recipes for technique and timing. I wanted to make sure I made the cheese sauce properly without making it clumpy.

I started with a few cups of whole wheat rotini.

whole wheat pasta

While the pasta was boiling, I wrapped 6 garlic cloves in foil and popped it in the toaster oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, until I started smelling garlicky goodness.

Then I got to shredding the cheese. I used a mix of Dubliner and Aged Cheddar. Yum.

Kerrygold Dubliner

The base of my sauce was a quick roux, a mix of butter and flour cooked unti light brown in a pan. To that I added stuff I had left from baking adventures, 1/2 cup of light cream and about 1/2 cup heavy cream. After stirring the cream and roux and making sure it wasn’t lumpy, I added a scoop of Dijon mustard for some extra flavor.

Dijon mustard

I also grated in a bit of nutmeg, always a great addition to cream sauces. When the garlic was soft enough and cool to the touch, I squeezed it out of its skin and mashed it into the cream.

nutmeg

And at long last, I added in the grated cheese, stirring slowly on low heat to make sure it melted evenly and really blended into the sauce.

The cooked pasta got the royal treatment when I added it to the simmering, bubbling bath of cream and cheese. What could be better?

macaroni and cheese

I poured the pasta into a buttered glass baking dish and topped all of this with Panko bread crumbs that had been mixed with a bit of melted butter in a frying pan on low heat.

Panko bread crumbs

Popping it into the oven for 20 minutes at 350 was all it needed for a golden breadcrumb crust. . .

baked macaroni and cheese

And piping hot bubbly cheese. . .

baked macaroni and cheese

The roasted garlic, mustard, and Panko really give this mac and cheese a bit of sophistication Winking smile and make it an ideal dish for a potluck, family dinner, or even as a workday lunch. Add a green salad, and you have a pretty complete meal!

I am already thinking of the lobster meat I have in the freezer for next time. . .

What is your favorite kind of mac and cheese? Do you have a special cheese you like to use or any fun additions?

Tags: Aged Cheddar, Dubliner, Food, garlic, Kerrygold, macaroni and cheese, recipe, whole wheat pasta

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