This Heart Healthy Mac and Cheese is a delightful bowl of cheesy goodness. With added sautéd onions, diced tomatoes, and green chilis, this homemade side dish isn’t just for kids, but we suspect they’ll love it too!
Heart Healthy Mac and Cheese: A Grown Up Side Dish
Have you decided on your holiday menus yet this year? If not, you’re in for a real treat because this is the side dish that you’re going to want to make!
Every kid, even the pickiest of eaters, seems to love mac and cheese, but why should kids have all of the cheesy fun at the dinner table? This Homemade Heart Healthy Mac and Cheese recipe gives a childhood favorite a grown up makeover with added sautéd onions, diced tomatoes, green chilis, and a unique and crispy topping. This delicious side dish is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any day of the week. If the ooey-gooey cheesiness of this side dish wasn’t enough, the added crunch and texture from the vegetables and cracker topping just sets this recipe above the rest.
If you’re having guests over for the holidays, you better double, or triple, this recipe because everyone will be coming back for more. Leftovers heat up great in the microwave too so this is perfect for lunch the next day. So delicious, so satisfying, and it pairs well with any meats you’re thinking of cooking over the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb elbow macaroni
- 2 tbsp no salt butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 egg
- 1 can No Salt Added Ro*Tel®, drained
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or any other cheese lower in sodium)
- 3 tbsp no salt butter
- 1 cup pita chips, finely crushed
Instructions
- Boil the pasta to al dente in a medium pan on the stovetop.
- In a separate pot over medium-low heat, while the pasta is cooking, melt 3 tbsp butter, whisk in the flour, mustard, and chili powder and stir continuously for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk, onion, and the drained tomatoes and chilis, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the egg into the mixture, then add 1.5 cups of cheese. Fold the cheese to combine then pour in a 8.5" X 4.5" X 2.75" glass baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan then stir in the crushed pita chips to coat. Top macaroni with pita chips.
- Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350ºF oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Home Chef Tip: To keep this recipe low in sodium, make sure you read labels. Some pastas have more sodium in them than others, and certainly other cheeses have more sodium than mozzarella or swiss!
We hope you love this recipe for Heart Healthy Homemade Mac and Cheese as much as we do. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out our other Side Dishes so that you’re always ready for the upcoming holidays and weeknight meals. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook, follow us on Pinterest, and stop by our Google+ Community to see all of the amazing recipes our community members are sharing. Enjoy!
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