**Low-Fat Mexican Macaroni and Cheese: A Flavorful and Healthy Twist on a Classic Dish**
Craving a comforting and flavorful pasta dish without compromising your health goals? Look no further than this Low-Fat Mexican Macaroni and Cheese. This unique recipe combines the classic flavors of macaroni and cheese with a zesty Mexican twist, resulting in a dish that is both delicious and nutritious. Featuring reduced-fat cheese, lean ground turkey, and an array of colorful vegetables, this macaroni and cheese is a guilt-free indulgence that the whole family will love.
In addition to the classic recipe, this article also offers variations to cater to different preferences and dietary restrictions. For those who prefer a vegetarian option, there's a meatless version made with hearty black beans instead of ground turkey. And for those with gluten intolerance, a gluten-free version using brown rice macaroni is included.
With its blend of Mexican spices, creamy cheese sauce, and wholesome ingredients, this Low-Fat Mexican Macaroni and Cheese is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen. So, get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this irresistible dish that is not only delicious but also good for you!
LOW FAT MEXICAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
Found this in a Weight Watcher's cookbook of recipes from the magazine in 2000. This is fast to make and has a nice flavour. Not a zingy dish, but the kids and I enjoyed it. 2/3 of a cup is 3 WW points.
Provided by ladypit
Categories Mexican
Time 20m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Boil water for the macaroni. Cook the noodles in the water until done, usually 7-9 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking cube the cheese.
- When the noodles are done drain them and then return to the pan.
- Add the cubed cheese and taco seasoning. Stir well, until the cheese is melted.
- When melted, add the salsa and serve.
BAKED MEXICAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
Olé! Reduced-fat ingredients make indulging in mac and cheese almost guilt free.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 50m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package; set aside.
- In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in flour. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
- Stir in yogurt, stirring constantly. Gently stir in cheeses; stir in pasta. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
- Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 450, Carbohydrate 64 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 24 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 890 mg, Sugar 10 g, TransFat 0 g
HEALTHIER HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE
To make this rich mac and cheese recipe healthier we use whole wheat bread crumbs, low-fat milk and cheese, whole wheat noodles, and reduced the amount of butter. Serve with a salad for a healthy meatless dinner.
Provided by MakeItHealthy
Categories Pasta and Noodles Noodle Recipes
Time 50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a roux. Slowly add milk to roux, stirring constantly. Stir in Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is thick, about 3 minutes. Place macaroni in large baking dish and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until butter is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Spread over macaroni to cover. Sprinkle with paprika.
- Bake in preheated oven until cheese sauce is hot and breadcrumbs are browned, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 770.4 calories, Carbohydrate 106.6 g, Cholesterol 60.3 mg, Fat 22.4 g, Fiber 10.6 g, Protein 42.5 g, SaturatedFat 13.1 g, Sodium 750.2 mg, Sugar 9.6 g
YUMMY LOW-FAT MAC & CHEESE
Make and share this Yummy Low-Fat Mac & Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Absolutely Bananas
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 35m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Coat 2 quart casserole with nonstick spray. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Melt butter in medium saucepan. stir in flour, mustard, paprika, and salt. slowly pour in milk, whisking continuously until there are no lumps in the flour. continue to stir with whisk, raise the heat, and cook until milk bubbles and thickens. Remove from stovetop and stir in sour cream, egg, and cheese.
- Toss macaroni and the cheese mixture together in a bowl and then pour it into the casserole. Top with the cornflake crumbs. Set in the oven and bake for 20 min, or until bubbling around edges.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 253.8, Fat 4.4, SaturatedFat 2, Cholesterol 41.1, Sodium 271.9, Carbohydrate 41.9, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 6.9, Protein 11.1
LOW-FAT MACARONI AND CHEESE
"When I want a super side dish that's real old-fashioned comfort food, I make a batch of this macaroni and cheese," notes field editor Joanie Elbourn of Gardner, Massachusetts.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a blender or food processor, combine the milk, cheeses, flour and pepper. Cover and process until creamy. Pour into a bowl; stir in macaroni and onion. Transfer to a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 271 calories, Fat 8g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 28mg cholesterol, Sodium 395mg sodium, Carbohydrate 32g carbohydrate (7g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 19g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
MEXICAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
Make and share this Mexican Macaroni and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Millereg
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 45m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Prepare M&C dinner as directed.
- Brown meat, celery, green pepper and onion; cook until tender.
- Stir in corn, tomato sauce, chili powder, and pepper.
- Add M&C dinner; mix well.
- Heat through on top of stove or pour into 2 quart casserole; bake at 350F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 461.4, Fat 12.5, SaturatedFat 3.7, Cholesterol 96.9, Sodium 1097.7, Carbohydrate 58.2, Fiber 4.8, Sugar 11.1, Protein 31.6
MEXICAN MAC & CHEESE DELUXE
Why make regular when you can go deluxe so easily? This mac and cheese is dressed up in fine Mexican style, including cumin, corn and fresh cilantro.
Provided by My Food and Family
Categories Home
Time 20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Prepare Dinner as directed on package, stirring in the cumin with the Cheese Sauce.
- Stir in remaining ingredients except onions. Cook on medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle with onions.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 280, Fat 6 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Sodium 810 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 14 g
MEXICAN MAC-N-CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Categories side-dish
Time 1h45m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the butter, corn, onions, red peppers, garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt to a medium saucepot set over medium-high heat. Saute until the onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper and flour and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, to make a roux, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the cold milk in a steady stream, stirring vigorously until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until starting to thicken, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack. Cook until the sauce is smooth and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the scallions, pepper and rigatoni and mix well to combine.
- Pour the into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle the panko evenly over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling. Remove to a cooling rack and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Garnish with the cotija, jalapeno and cilantro. Serve immediately.
REDUCED FAT MAC AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Time 1h20m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place flour in a large saucepan over medium heat, gradually whisking in milk. Add mustard, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper and Worcestershire. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream cheese until well blended; add 2/3 of shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add macaroni, stirring until well coated. Pour into prepared baking dish.
- Toss remaining shredded cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over top of macaroni; spray with cooking spray.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden on top and bubbling throughout.
MEXICAN MAC AND CHEESE
Provided by Food Network
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine cream, half and half, asadero-style and Manchego cheese in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Add celery seeds and cayenne pepper. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Beat yolks in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in sauce. Add macaroni and stir to blend. Butter 4 quart baking dish. Pour macaroni and sauce into dish. Mix Cotija cheese and bread crumbs in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni. Bake until sauce is bubbling and top is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.
LOW FAT MACARONI & CHEESE
This is a super guilt free recipe without taking away the creamy delicious taste that macaroni is so famous for. Do you got some cooked pasta sitting in a Tupperware in your fridge, like I do? Turn it into a yummy Mac n' Cheese dinner.
Provided by Hope Rock
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 30m
Yield 6 Entrees, 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 (F) degrees.
- In a large pot boil water and follow directions to cook your choice of pasta. Or use those leftover noodles saved over in the fridge (your choice).
- While waiting for the water to boil for the pasta, in a saucepan heat milk over low to low-medium heat. Add the cheeses until they melt, stirring constantly. (Be careful not to scorch or boil the elements in the saucepan).
- In a separate skillet, Caramelize the finely diced yellow onion and minced garlic with non-stick cooking spray until soft and tender, showing a caramelized brown color. Pour the caramelized garlic and onions into the saucepan with the melted cheeses. Mix. To the same saucepan mix in the nutmeg, salt, & pepper.
- Once pasta is al dente, drain the noodles of its pasta water. If you are using up those left over noodles, pour a bit of water in with those noodles and cover, heat on high in the microwave until warm and tender. This will make it easier to mix those cold noodles that may be a bit stiff from sitting in the fridge. Pour the melted cheese mixture in with the cooked noodles and mix until evenly coated.
- In a 2 quart casserole dish spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the noodles and cheese mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle over the top with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and browned on the top.
- Dish and serve hot.
- FYI: If you're not a fan of onions, simply omit this ingredient, it will be just as good. The onions give it a bit more flavor. If you want the flavor of onion but not the onion texture, grate the onions with a cheese grater before caramelizing, it will eliminate the chunky texture within the creamy mac n' cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 460.7, Fat 6.3, SaturatedFat 3, Cholesterol 17.1, Sodium 477.4, Carbohydrate 75.2, Fiber 4.6, Sugar 8.6, Protein 25.1
LOWER FAT BAKED MAC AND CHEESE
This is the result of me playing with my MIL's baked mac and cheese recipe. IMHO it captures the flavor and texture of the original recipe without leaving a greasy feeling in the mouth. Hope you enjoy it!
Provided by smellyvegetarian
Categories Cheese
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 and coat an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta according to box directions until just done. Drain briefly, then return pasta to the cooking pot (it should still be warm).
- Add Smart Balance, Velveeta, milk, and 1/2 c cheddar cheese and stir until the cheeses melt. You may need to put the pan back on a burner for this.
- Pour pasta mixture into greased pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c cheese on top and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the top is as crunchy as you like it :).
MIKA'S LOW FAT MACARONI AND CHEESE
This may be low fat but it doesn't taste like it! You have to try this recipe! This is one of my best....
Provided by Mika G.
Categories Cheese
Time 1h
Yield 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- While noodles are cooking, mix together next 9 ingredients.
- Mix in cooked pasta, and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish sprayed with Pam.
- Mix bread crumbs, paprika and 1 TBSP melted margarine and sprinkle over top of casserole.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees.
- Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 428.4, Fat 6, SaturatedFat 2.9, Cholesterol 49.5, Sodium 661.5, Carbohydrate 64.1, Fiber 2.5, Sugar 4.4, Protein 27.5
SKINNY MACARONI AND CHEESE
59% less fat • 54% less sat fat • 24% fewer calories than the original recipe. Make it "my mac and cheese" with simple changes.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In 3-quart saucepan, cook and drain macaroni as directed on package. Return to saucepan; cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 2-quart saucepan, stir milk, flour, mustard, salt, black pepper and red pepper with wire whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
- Add cheese sauce to cooked macaroni; mix well. Spoon into baking dish.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 340, Carbohydrate 44 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Fiber 2 g, Protein 19 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 640 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 g
MEXICAN MACARONI AND CHEESE
For a classic casserole with a little more grown-up taste, give our Test Kitchen's zesty macaroni and cheese a try.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Side Dishes
Time 35m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in lime juice. Stir in 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese and 1 cup pepper Jack cheese until melted. , Remove from the heat. Stir in the jalapeno, chili powder and salt. Drain macaroni; add to cheese sauce and toss to coat. , Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses; sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Nutrition Facts :
Tips:
- Use low-fat ingredients: Substitute nonfat milk, low-fat cheese, and lean ground beef or turkey to create a healthier version of this classic dish.
- Add vegetables: Sneak in some extra nutrition by adding chopped vegetables, such as broccoli, carrots, or zucchini, to the macaroni and cheese.
- Experiment with spices: Don't be afraid to add your own blend of spices to the macaroni and cheese. Chili powder, cumin, and paprika are all great options.
- Top with fresh herbs: Before serving, add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, parsley, or basil to brighten up the flavors.
Conclusion:
This low-fat Mexican macaroni and cheese is a delicious and satisfying comfort food that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own preferences. So next time you're craving a hearty and cheesy dish, give this recipe a try!
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