Yes, I just made mac ‘n cheese healthy (for the most part). I used to be addicted to Velveeta. The height of my addiction was post college. So easy and so good. One box would last me days.
Then I figured out how fattening it was, and that cheese that comes pre-made is probably the worst thing you could put in your body. There is nothing natural about it.
I weened myself off the good stuff and have been Velveeta free ever since. So naturally, I needed an alternative to satisfy my love of cheese and pasta. I stumbled upon Giada’s baked macaroni and cheese cupcakes. Mac ‘n cheese and cupcakes. Two of my favorite things combined — heaven.
I tried it a few weeks ago and screwed up the recipe. It came out tasty, but not how it was supposed to. So I went at it again today and came out victorious. I don’t make them into cupcakes. That’s the first thing I changed.
It’s a pain in the ass to coat cupcake pans with breadcrumbs, and impossible to fill with a decent amount of veggies. Instead I used a casserole dish. There is less clean up and you don’t have to stress about the cupcakes crumbling when you take them out of the pan.
Then I basically doubled the vegetables involved. More asparagus, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes. I also used whole wheat pasta. Granted, cheese is fattening, but it’s better than the chemical-injected crap that comes in the box. Plus, you’re not overloading your mac with it either.
The result: Cheesy goodness with tons of vegetables. If there are more vegetables than pasta I consider it a win. There’s my veggie serving for the day. I wouldn’t have gotten it with Velveeta.
