Make it cheesy; keep it healthy
Tried and true recipes
Comfort food.
When you say those words, you think of Mom cooking meat loaf, spaghetti with meatballs, macaroni and cheese.
When you say those words, you think of Mom cooking meat loaf, spaghetti with meatballs, macaroni and cheese.
You don't think healthy. But in "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger (Taunton Press; $28) that is exactly what you get, comfort food made healthy. Flipping through this beautifully illustrated 315 page cookbook, you will find more than 200 recipes. Each has the serving size and nutritional value.
(Donna Vickroy/SouthtownStar)
You don't think healthy. But in "The Food You Crave" by Ellie Krieger (Taunton Press; $28) that is exactly what you get, comfort food made healthy. Flipping through this beautifully illustrated 315 page cookbook, you will find more than 200 recipes. Each has the serving size and nutritional value.
It was hard to pick which recipe I was going to make first. But with spring taking its sweet time, Macaroni and Four Cheese seemed to be the perfect dish.
Macaroni and Four Cheese
1 16-ounce box elbow macaroni
2 10-ounce packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups lowfat milk
11/3 cups grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
2/3cup grated Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)
1/2cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoon plain dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and cheese and stir to combine.
Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely brown.
Editor's note: Tried-and-True Recipes is a LifeFood feature in which a staff member reviews a recently published cookbook. This week, Pam Stephens, SouthtownStar's assistant office manager, proves comfort can be a synonym for healthy.