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Broccoli and White Bean Mac and Cheese

When grocery shopping, I am not normally swayed into purchasing magazines from the rack in front of the checkout line. (Though I will certainly read them while waiting and I may or may not be guilty of snapping a photo once or twice so I would remember to look up something after getting home…)

As I was waiting in line a few weeks ago, one of the recipes on the cover of Clean Eating Magazine caught my eye. They featured a recipe for Broccoli and White Bean Mac and Cheese that looked and sounded really good.  It also seemed really healthy and the ingredients are foods that I almost always have on hand. After flipping through the magazine, I found a few recipes that I liked and went ahead and bought the magazine.

Broccoli and White Bean Mac and Cheese

For being such a healthy version of Mac and Cheese, we we not disappointed!  The dish turned out pretty good.  Everyone ate it (after I let my 7 year old pick out the broccoli, that is) and we had no leftovers.  My hubby particularly enjoyed the dish.

Broccoli and White Bean Mac and Cheese  adapted from Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup skim milk, divided
3 Tbsp. flour
3/4 cup nonfat evaporated milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
5 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cup)
5 Tbsp. finely grated or powdered Romano cheese, divided
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 oz. elbow macaroni (about 1 cup)
3 cups chopped broccoli florets (or less)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (I used an orange bell pepper)
1 cup canned white beans, drained and rinsed (I used the whole can which was about 1.5 cups)
1/2 tsp. paprika

Directions:
1.  In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup skim milk and flour; set aside.

2.  In a large saucepan, combine remaining 1/4 cup skim milk and evaporated milk. Place saucepan on high heat and stir in garlic and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and whisk in flour mixture until no lumps remain. 
3.  Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute. 
4.  Remove from heat and stir in cheddar and 3 Tbsp. Romano until well blended. 
5.  Season with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm on lowest heat setting until needed.
6.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
7.  Add macaroni and cook for 3 minutes add broccoli and boil for an additional 3 minutes; pasta will be slightly undercooked at this point. 
8.  Stir in bell pepper then drain the pasta and veggies and return to pot. 
9.  Stir in beans and milk mixture and heat on low for about 1 minute, until heated through. 
10.  Spoon onto serving dishes and top with remaining 2 Tbsp. Romano and paprika, dividing evenly.
Serves 4, enjoy!

What is your favorite Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe?  I will admit I’ve only made homemade mac and cheese a handful of times and personally, I still prefer the flavor of Kraft macaroni and cheese.  (I know, that is so wrong on so many levels, but it is just something about the cheese flavor I really like…  My daughter prefers the flavor of cafeteria-style mac and cheese. <yuck!>)

I’m very interested in trying some new mac and cheese recipes and would love for you to share links to your favorite recipes in the comments!

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11 Comments

  1. Oh, that looks good!! Thank you so much for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!

  2. Steph @ Crafting in the Rain says:

    Looks like a great dinner!

  3. Corsoin thekitchen says:

    This looks amazing. Looks like a must-try!

    New follower here from Inspiration Friday. Nice to meet you!

  4. Miz Helen says:

    Hi Jamie,
    This is a fabulous dish with a combination of ingredients that we will just love. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  5. This looks DELICIOUS!!!! Love the additions of the broccoli and the beans to this recipe!

  6. Oh this looks great! A nice twist on mac and cheese.

  7. Michelle Scobell says:

    Have you made it yet? Do you like it?

    1. Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom says:

      I have made it and it was pretty good for a "healthified" version of mac and cheese. My hubby really liked it, but when it comes to mac and cheese, I like kraft macaroni and cheese better than homestyle…
      ~Jamie

  8. This looks really good. Pinning!