It’s the ultimate comfort food—soft and creamy, warm and cheesy. There isn’t a worry left in your world when your spoon hits the bottom of a bowl of mac and cheese—unless, of course, you normally don’t do dairy or gluten, or you’re watching your weight. Keep your belly happy and your mind at ease with this healthified version of everyone’s favorite cold-weather splurge. Quinoa pasta, which is wheat free, takes the place of plain noodles and a combination of ghee, Greek yogurt and low-fat cheese give you classic mac flavor and texture without all the fat.
Quinoa Pasta Mac and Cheese
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pkg. quinoa pasta, elbow shape
1 Tbsp. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. ghee or butter
¼ cup low-fat cottage cheese
¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. mustard powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
½ cup cheese blend (cheddar, Swiss and American)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Follow package directions to cook quinoa pasta.
- In food processor, combine almond milk, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and spices; blend until creamy. Stir in cheese blend.
- Pour cheese mixture over pasta and stir to combine. Stir in jalapeños. Top with additional cheese.
- Bake mac and cheese for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.