This low calorie macaroni cheese is one of our favourite low calorie pasta recipes, coming in at only 339 calories a serving.
There are few dishes that can beat a classic macaroni cheese for pure comfort levels - soft macaroni twists, oozing creamy sauce and a the velvety taste of melted cheese. Well, just because you're watching your weight it doesn't mean you have to miss out. This version uses low fat versions of milk, cheese, and butter, to keep the calories well under 350kcal per portion. Serve it with a crisp, frizzy salad on the side - the creamy sauce will work instead of a dressing for the lettuce as well.
Ingredients
- 300g macaroni
- 50g low-fat spread
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml (1 pint) semi-skimmed milk
- 100g reduced fat Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tsp English mustard
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, fan oven 170°C, Gas Mark 5
- Cook the macaroni in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 mins, or according to pack instructions, until tender.
- Meanwhile, melt the low-fat spread in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 3-4 mins until softened, but not brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Return to the heat and cook gently for about 1 min, stirring, until the mixture has a sandy texture.
- Remove from the heat and add the milk a little at a time, stirring it in to blend. Heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Remove from the heat and add about two thirds of the cheese and the mustard. Season with some pepper.
- Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly and stir it into the hot cheese sauce. Tip the mixture into a baking dish with a capacity of about 1.2 litres (2 pints), or use individual serving dishes. Top with the sliced tomatoes and sprinkle the reserved cheese over the surface. Bake for 15-20 mins until piping hot, then serve.
Top tip for making low-calorie macaroni cheese
Use tubular pasta, like penne or rigatoni instead of macaroni and take care not to overcook it - it needs to have a little 'bite'. Instead of tomatoes you could have a layer of sliced leeks, courgettes and peppers, lightly boiled in water to soften them.
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