Wow! It has been almost a month since I have done food prep--between vacation and work, time has just been flying by! Little man celebrated his first birthday with not 1, but 2 birthday parties (one in Florida and one in NJ), so needless to say we have had our hands full. It is great to be back in the game, making a few of my favorite dishes.
Here is the line up:
Artichoke and Spinach Mac and Cheese
Red Onion and Tomato Salad
Veggie Chili
Tortilla Chips
Cornflake Chicken
Sweet Potato Fries
The mac and cheese was a special request, so in honor of that I am sharing the recipe here. I have to admit that this dish was inspired by a co-worker of mine who saw the recipe on Rachel Ray, but I altered it to fit my goal of healthy meals low in points and high in taste.
Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
1 box shells, cooked at dente and drained
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3 cups skim milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 8-oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-oz can artichoke hearts, chopped and squeezed dry
salt/pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups pizza blend cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
PAM
Pre-heat oven 350.
Spray large pot with PAM. Saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat until onions turn clear.
Add flour and cook 1 minute so that onions and garlic are coated. While stirring rapidly with a whisk, add vermouth and allow alcohol to cook off.
Continue to whisk and add milk, allowing the milk to come to a slow simmer. Stir in spinach, artichokes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Slowly stir in cheeses, until entire mixture is melted together.
Toss cooked pasta and cheese mixture. Spread into a 9x13 inch glass pan sprayed with PAM. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs, give a quick spray over with PAM, and bake for 25 minutes.
The entire dish has 55 points and makes between 8-10 servings, depending on how much you can eat. That about 400-500 calories per serving.
Healthy meals to nourish your mind.
