SUPER COOL & HEALTHY MACARONI & CHEESE

Following from requests from my yoga students here is a recipe for a super healthy & yummy Macaroni and Cheese that even my picky kids will eat:

First, I have to give credit where credit is due. This recipe is derived from a recipe from my Mette Crabill. I believe that she derived it from Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook Deceptively Delicious.

INGREDIENTS

1 box elbow macaroni

Roughly 1.5 cups cubed butternut squash

1 can cannellini beans

1 Tbs butter or butter substitute (I actually believe the real thing is healthier in small amounts)

1 Tbs flour

½ cup milk (again, the whole variety is healthy, but you can use 2% if you must)

½ cup cheddar cheese shredded

Place the butternut squash in a microwave safe bowl, add about ¼ cup of water, microwave on high for 5 minutes. Start the macaroni boiling. Mac will boil for 8 minutes – just before al dente stage. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add flour and whisk into a smooth roux. Slowly pour in milk, whisking the entire time so as to avoid lumps. When the milk is fully integrated with the roux, add the cheddar cheese, little bits at a time. Again, whisk the entire time until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. This just takes a few minutes. Set aside. When the butternut squash is smooshy when mashed with a fork, put it and the cannellini beans into a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. You may need to add a little water. When the beans and squash are smooth add them to the cheese mixture and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Remove the macaroni from the stove-top and drain. Put drained macaroni into a baking dish, pour the sauce over the macaroni, add breadcrumbs to the top (if you like). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool before serving.

*An easier version of this is to use an organic instant macaroni and cheese box. Follow the directions on the box + make your butternut squash and cannellini bean puree. Add the cheese packet from the box to your puree and then just pour the puree over the macaroni from the box.

Enjoy!

Jennifer