From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
After fantasizing about the creamy goodness that is macaroni and cheese for a few days, I found this recipe on the internet. I wanted to see if even though it didn't have a lot of cream and butter in it, if it would still be satisfying. And...it was! I was really hesitant to put the raw noodles into the casserole, but it worked great! I couldn't use usual macaroni noodles as I just moved to Los Angeles, and I haven't found a regular grocery store that stocks normal trashy stuff. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods only sell whole wheat or brown rice pasta in fancy shapes, the closest I could find to good ole trashy macaroni was whole wheat penne. But, with all those melty cheesy flavours with a bread crumb crust, I didn't even miss the noodles.
1 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup skim milk or buttermilk (I used skim, and it was still very yummy)
1 tsp dried mustard or 1 tbsp prepared mustard
pinch of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated onion
1 cup extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tbsp finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheeses
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10 inch square baking pan.
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, skim milk/buttermilk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper and puree until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the puree, the onion, macaroni and cheddar cheese and stir thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into your pan.
Combine the Pecorino/Parmesan and the bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of the mixture.
Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the center firm.
Enjoy with a big generous helping of salad! I think Caesar Salad tastes the best with it.
