This is a sponsored post on behalf of Hood® . All writing, opinions, and photography are my own.
It’s almost time for school to start here, and I’ve already started thinking about those busy weeknights and how I can make dinner prep easier and less stressful. Meal planning helped me a ton last year, and so did having some staple recipes to prepare when I’m short on time. These recipes include spaghetti and meatballs (vegetarian meatballs too!), stir-fries, entrée salads and of course macaroni and cheese! Macaroni and cheese is one of the boys’ favorite meals, and it had to be on the list. I decided to lighten up the traditional home-style macaroni and cheese recipe we usually use by using less butter and Hood® Simply Smart 1% milk. Scroll down to find the recipe!
Hood® Simply Smart Milk
Hood Simply Smart milk is ultra-filtered and has more protein (25% more) and calcium (20% more) than regular whole milk, along with less fat, cholesterol, and calories! It’s also a great source of Vitamin D. Interested in trying Simply Smart for yourself? Head to your nearest grocery store or stop by Hood’s table at the Boston Heart Walk on September 9, 2017 to taste the milk for yourself and pick up some premium swag items!
A Lighter Macaroni & Cheese
Macaroni and Cheese is a staple in our family. Simply Smart 1% milk and less butter allowed me to lighten up our traditional recipe for fall! I used 25% less butter and replaced the whole milk with the Simply Smart 1% milk. The result is a macaroni and cheese that is just as tasty, but with less fat and calories.
You can use whatever combination of cheese you would like in this recipe. I chose sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, but I’ve used Gruyère and smoked gouda too! For the breadcrumbs, I’ve chosen Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs, but you can use plain panko, traditional breadcrumbs or homemade ones if you prefer. Here’s our recipe:
A Lightened Up Version of Macaroni and Cheese for Back to School Nights!
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (box of)
- 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 cups 1% milk (Simply Smart)
- 6 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 10 tablespoons butter separated
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Boil water and cook elbow macaroni.
- While macaroni is cooking, heat 6 tbsp of butter in a dutch oven.
- When butter is melted, stir in whole wheat flour to form a paste.
- Add milk, stirring periodically to combine well and bring to a boil.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Stir in cheese mixture and combine.
- Melt the remaining 4 tbsp of butter in a small pan and stir in breadcrumbs.
- Spread breadcumbs over the macaroni and cheese and bake for 25 minutes until browned on top.
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