Baked Mac and Cheese

This recipe is creamy and has a good amount of taste but it is also low fat. We found it on a weight watchers website and decided to give it a try. It could easily be a meal on its own but we had some leftover chicken that had already been baked and we cut that up and mixed it to give it a bit more protein.




2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta
2 1/2 cups broccoli (small florets best but we used regular frozen broccoli and it was fine)
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3 Tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
2 1/2 cups milk (fat free keeps this healthier)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 cup cheese (we used regular fat, low fat is of course healthier)
1 tsp mustard
salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 F (180 C).



Cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions. Add the broccoli 3-5 minutes before the pasta is finished to get it also cooked.





While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter over medium and add the breadcrumbs. Cook until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Remove, stir in one Tbs of Parmesan cheese and set aside.




In the pan you just removed the breadcrumbs from whisk together the flour and milk. Add the onion ad bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer until the mixture thickens (about 2 minutes).
   



Remove from heat and whisk in the cheese, mustard, about 1 1/2 tsp both of salt and pepper, and the remaining 2 Tbs of Parmesan cheese.


      


By this time the pasta and broccoli should be finished. Mix the pasta and broccoli with the cheese sauce. This is also where we mixed in our already cooked chicken.





Pour into a oven-safe baking dish and sprinkle with the bread crumbs from earlier.









Bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges should be bubbly.