Don't Sleep On Healthy Options...Part Two!

Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

Happy Hump Day Divas and Gents! As you may recall, a few months back I shared with you a recipe for macaroni and cheese that I found in my Cooking Light Magazine. The recipe shaved a whopping 500 calories per serving from the traditional mac and cheese recipe by substituting butter, eggs, and full-fat milk with butternut squash, skim milk, and non-fat Greek yogurt. While I was initially skeptical as to how the mac and cheese would turn out, I was pleasantly surprised by the results…it was delicious! (See Previous Post Here!)

I received a lot of positive feedback after posting this recipe…even from those who were expecting another martini recipe! As such, I thought it prudent to share yet another mac and cheese recipe that also sheds hundreds of calories from the traditional recipe. This time, Cooking Light suggests bacon, garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken to create the decadent Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Macaroni and Cheese. I tried this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and it was AMAZING! Even more amazing are the nutritional stats (Because Professional Divas love stats!):

Classic Recipe

908 Calories Per Serving

963 Milligrams of Sodium

36 Grams of Saturated Fat

Cooking Light’s Recipe

497 Calories Per Serving

545 Milligrams of Sodium

7.4 Grams of Saturated Fat

WINNING! Now we can have our mac and cheese and eat it too! Check out the recipe for the Bacon, Ranch, and Chicken Macaroni and Cheese.

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1 slice applewood-smoked bacon
8 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup condensed 45% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded six-cheese Italian blend (such as Sargento)
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded colby-Jack cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan. Finely chop bacon; set aside. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to drippings in pan; sauté 6 minutes or until done.

3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; sprinkle flour evenly into pan. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Combine milk and soup, stirring with a whisk; gradually add milk mixture to saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until sauce cools to 155°. Add Italian cheese blend, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, and salt, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in pasta and chicken.

4. Preheat broiler.

5. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and colby-Jack cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

Voila! To see this recipe at Cooking Light Online, CLICK HERE!

For other delicious recipes courtesy of Cooking Light, check them out at CookingLight.com.

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Don't Sleep On Healthy Options!

Courtesy of CookingLight.com

Happy Sunday Divas and Gents! Today I want to share a new recipe with you all. No, it’s not a new martini recipe (tune in on Thursday for those). It’s actually a really tasty and healthy recipe for macaroni and cheese. What! Where did that come from? I know that’s what some of you may be asking. But there’s a really good explanation for discussing my inkling for domestication.

Last week, I posted 3 Steps to a Healthier Diva, which was my attempt to give tips on how professional and busy women can incorporate healthy options into their busy lifestyles. One of my tips involved pre-planning healthy meals at the beginning of the week, and executing throughout the week. Today, I planned to make baked macaroni and cheese using a recipe I found in the September 2011 issue of Cooking Light Magazine. FYI, Cooking Light always publishes easy-to-make low-fat and/or low-calorie meals that are delicious. Its recipes often serve as the inspiration for my weekly meals. Today was no different.

I was excited about this mac and cheese recipe because it promised to shed almost 550 calories per serving from the traditional mac and cheese recipe. How you ask? Instead of using butter, eggs, and full-fat milk, this recipe uses……butternut squash, skim milk, and non-fat Greek yogurt. I too was skeptical as to how this recipe would taste, but I was pleasantly surprised! The result was creamy, flavorful, and much healthier than the traditional option. I had a great meal without the guilt!

Cooking Light Magazine September 2011

The moral of the story is that you should never disregard healthier options. If I would have followed my first thought, I would have never attempted this recipe. I decided to step out on foodie faith and try something new…and I’m WINNING! In the spirit of sharing, check out Cooking Light’s Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. Try it now, and thank me later!

Ingredients

- 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)

- 1 ¼ cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

- 1 ½ cups fat-free milk

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

- 1 ¼ cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino Romano cheese

- ¼ cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

- 1 pound uncooked cavatappi (pasta)

- Cooking spray

- 1 teaspoon olive oil

- ½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

4. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.

6. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

The Numbers (Because Professional Divas Love Numbers!)

The Classic Recipe

908 Calories Per Serving

963 Milligrams of Sodium

36 Grams of Saturated Fat

Cooking Light's Recipe 

390 Calories Per Serving

589 Milligrams of Sodium

6.1 Grams of Saturated Fat

Check out this recipe at Cooking Light Online -> Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese.

For other delicious recipes courtesy of Cooking Light, check them out at CookingLight.com.

Read more »