This healthy Mac and cheese has a twist on a classic comfort food. It's packed with iron, fiber and protein. Bonus that it can be made all in the same bowl!
So I recently took a poll on my instagram asking you guys if you wanted a real simple or a healthy Mac and cheese. Healthy Mac and cheese won by just over 30%. Now, I want to be real with you. There is still cheese in this Mac and cheese recipe. I don't think you can call it macaroni and cheese without cheese unless you specify.
Let's get on with it, shall we?
Ingredients in Healthy Mac and Cheese
- Cavatappi pasta: You can do a whole wheat/gluten free variety or even do a chickpea pasta here, but I've been digging cavatappi lately and its little spiral shape, so I went with that. Plus it holds onto the sauce well!
- Sharp White Cheddar Cheese: Yep. No substitutions on this, maybe you can get away with a light sharp white cheddar. Personally, I think you need the sharp white cheddar to give it that cheese flavor and mask the flavor of the beans.
- Northern Beans: That's right folks, northern beans that are rinsed and drained from the can. You won't be using the whole can unless you are doubling the batch.
How to Make Healthy Mac and Cheese
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain out water. Do not rinse the noodles!
- To start you want to make a roux. This is not a hard process, but it does require a whisk. Place 2 tbsp butter in the stock pot and place on medium/low heat. From there, mix in flour and milk. I used white whole wheat flour, but if you use a different flour you might need to add/subtract more milk based on the flour. The goal is to achieve a homogenous smooth mixture.
- Rinse canned northern beans and place in a blender. Mix with ½ cup of vegetable broth or water on high until smooth.
- Return to the roux and mix in ½ cup of bean mixture with 1 cup of shredded white cheddar cheese. Continue to heat on low, add ¼ cup milk and stir until cheese starts to melt and things are blending together. Mix in spices.
- Dump pasta into the smooth cheese mixture and slowly stir until each noodle is coated. Depending on how you like your Mac and cheese, you can add more milk or broth here for a more 'soupy' consistency. Just make sure you don't over-do it!
- Garnish with cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Enjoy immediately.
If you love this recipe, check out some of my other vegetarian recipes!
FAQ's
Can you use a different type of pasta noodle?
Of course! I would suggest the Cavatappi though!
Can I use olive oil instead of butter?
Haven't tried this recipe using olive oil, but if you do, let me know how it goes!
I don't have skim milk, can I use a 2% milk?
Yes! Absolutely, 2% milk will be a little thicker consistency so you might not need all the 2 tbsp of flour.
Hope you guys love this healthy Mac and cheese recipe! Leave a star rating/review!
Don't forget to PIN IT for later
Healthy Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This healthy Mac and cheese has a twist on a classic comfort food. It's packed with iron, fiber and protein. Bonus that it can be made all in the same bowl!
Ingredients
- ½ box cavatappi pasta
- 1 can northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup vegetable broth (or water)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour (I used white whole wheat)
- ½ cup milk (I used skim milk, might need less depending on the flour you use)
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, packed and shredded
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dry mustard, ground
- Cracked black pepper
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain, but do not rinse pasta. Set aside.
- Using the same pot, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium low heat. Do not burn. Add in 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp of milk. Whisk until smooth mixture. If you are using a wheat flour, you may need to add 2 more tbsp of milk.
- Using a blender, place can of northern beans inside blender and ½ cup of vegetable broth. Blend until smooth.
- Using a wooden spoon, add in ½ cup of bean mixture to roux in stock pot. Add in 1 cup of cheese and additional skim milk if needed. Continue to heat on medium/low until cheese melts and smooth mixture forms.
- Add in spices (garlic powder, dry mustard, pinch of salt and cracked pepper)
- Pour pasta noodles back into the stock pot and gently stir to coat.
- Garnish with additional black pepper and salt. Enjoy immediately 🙂
Notes
See frequently asked questions above for modifications.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, lunch
- Method: boil, saute
- Cuisine: American
It says use !/2 cup of the bean mixture, what do you do with the rest?