Cottage Mac n' Cheese

Mac n' cheese is one of my favorite childhood foods. And adulthood foods. I mean I don't really have to sell anyone on mac n' cheese - I think a universal consensus exists that buttery and cheesy warm noodles are delicious. BUT, knowing how unhealthy traditional mac n' cheese actually is, makes it fall on my forbidden foods list. I'm talking like, top 5.

The silver lining is that as a dietitian, one of my favorite pastimes is experimenting with food and creating innovative, healthy ways to enjoy the otherwise unhealthy foods many of us grew up with.

Here, I used chickpea pasta instead of traditional elbows made from refined white flour. Chickpea noodles are loaded with fiber and protein, while white noodles have little, if any. I also added muuna 2% plain cottage cheese for extra protein, flavor, and creaminess. This recipe calls for zero butter or artificial flavorings. In other words, this dish has lots of fiber and protein, and you can confidently prepare it without feeling an ounce of guilt! 

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 box elbow Chickpea pasta (I used Banza)
• ½ cup 2% plain Muuna cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (note: set aside ~¼ cup to sprinkle on top before baking)
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

*Note: for those of you who like it extra cheesy, feel free to double the sharp cheddar to 2 cups total. 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cook chickpea pasta according to instructions on box. Once cooked, be sure water is completely drained.
3. While cooked pasta is still hot, add cheddar, parmesan, Muuna cottage cheese, garlic powder, and salt, and mix ingredients together until they appear uniform. Remember to set aside ~¼ cup cheese to sprinkle on top before baking.
4. Transfer pasta and cheese mixture to baking pan. You may sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top. Bake for ~10 minutes, or until cheese appears melted.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Chickpea Mac n' Cheese

I don't think I need to begin this piece by selling you on the deliciousness of mac n' cheese. Much like pizza, it's one of those universal guilty food pleasures that's either entirely forbidden by dieters or leaves its casualties feeling some combination of a terrible stomach ache and regretful. 

During the most recent NYC snowstorm, I decided to embark on the task of healthifying mac n' cheese. Let's just say the final product is stomach-ache-free and for lack of a better phrase, really, really good. First and foremost, I swapped traditional refined pasta for chickpea elbows from Banza. Talk about an easy way to score protein and fiber. Next, I added some shaved Brussels sprouts. Eating healthy isn't just about what you should eliminate, but rather, what you can enjoy. Sometimes it feels like we're so focused on what we should avoid that we forget to shed light on all of the awesome foods we should incorporate. 

As for the cheese, I added a mix of shredded part-skim mozzarella and sharp cheddar. Cheese often gets a pretty bad rep, but if you're not avoiding dairy and you're not lactose intolerant, it's actually a good source of protein and calcium. 

So there you have it. Banza elbows + Brussels sprouts + shredded cheese. Nothing more, nothing less. Enjoy! 

Ingredients (serves ~5):

• 1 1/4 cup dry Banza elbows
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar 
• 1 cup shredded Brussels sprouts 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F 
2. Follow instructions for boiling water and preparing Banza elbows. While elbows are cooking, heat shredded Brussels sprouts on stove pan over medium heat for ~5-8 minutes. No oil or cooking spray necessary. Brussels sprouts should begin to brown. 
3. Drain water from elbows and place in baking pan. Mix in Brussels sprouts and cheese. Mix contents in baking pan until they appear evenly distributed. 
4. Place baking pan in oven for about 10 minutes, until cheese is visibly melted. 
5. Enjoy!