Better Than The Box! Mac and Cheese

You know those days where all you want to do is sit on the couch with a gallon of ice cream and watch Love Actually?? Today is one of those days. Just blahhhhh. So I wanted to make some yummy comfort food, which usually means full of carbs and cheese.

I made a healthier, grown up version of every kid's favorite dinner, full of veggies and cut down on calories. So here it is. It looks like a lot of work, but I promise it's not that hard. You can use whichever veggies you like, I chose these because I thought they went well together and broccoli is basically my favorite food. And what's better than broccoli and cheese?? Broccoli and mac and cheese. Yummm

Grown Up Mac And Cheese
12 oz. whole wheat penne
2 cups part skim mozzarella, shredded
1 cup reduced fat colby jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup swiss cheese, shredded
4 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp butter
1 cup nonfat milk
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen spinach
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and generously salt them. Turn the heat down to medium low and wait for them to caramelize. This takes about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook this for about 5 minutes until it thickens up. Then add the milk and stock, a pinch of salt, the nutmeg and lots of black pepper. It should thicken a little bit. After about 5 more minutes, add the cheeses and whisk until they melt into the sauce. Cook your pasta until almost done. Add the onions to the cheese sauce. In the same pan you cooked the onions in (there should be oil left in the bottom), add the mushrooms and the garlic, sautee for about 5 minutes then add the remaining vegetables until cooked through. While those cook, lightly oil an 8x13 glass baking dish and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cheese sauce, pasta, mustard and vegetables and spread this out in the glass pan. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes until the sauce gets bubbly and delicious and the top is golden brown and crunchy. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven so the sauce can set and not run all over your plate. Then get a bottle of wine and a good chick flick and enjoy. ;)


P.S. It freezes really well in case you are unlike me and don't eat the whole pan.

Before the crumbs

Hot out of the oven