Smart Snacking at Work: Party Dish, Part 1

Tag : mustard leaf

Smart Snacking at Work: Party Dish, Part 1 by Molly Niendorf — August 30, 2008
It's your turn to bring lunch to share at the office. You want tobring a dish that everyone will like, but not one loaded withcalories and saturated fat. I found a slimmed-down macaroni andcheese recipe at the Food Network , tested it on a group of friends, and it was a hit. Delicious,creamy consistency and nothing screams "slimmed down" about it.It's amazing how a couple little alterations can save calories andfat without sacrificing taste. One of my friends, who's aself-proclaimed cheese addict, asked for the recipe. I knew thatmeant success!
Low-Fat Mac'n'Cheese
1/2 pound dry elbow macaroni (2 cups)
1 cup skim milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a pot of cold water to a boil and salt it generously. Add thenoodles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about8-10 minutes.
Mix about 1 tablespoon of skim milk with the cornstarch and setaside.
Heat the remaining skim milk in a saucepan over medium heat withthe parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. When fragrant, whisk in thecornstarch mixture and bring to a boil over high heat, and simmeruntil the milk thickens.
Remove the herbs and stir in the cheese, until melted. Whisk thebutter, mustard, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne into the sauce.
Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the cheesesauce and season with salt and black pepper. Serve.
For a variation, I mixed in cubed ham and poured the pasta/hammixture into a baking dish. I sprinkled it with breadcrumbs and atouch of parmesan, and set it under the broiler for a coupleminutes. The result was a thin, crunchy topping. Delicious!