Macaroni & Cheese (3 ways!)

 
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Macaroni and cheese is a weakness of mine. In my years off diet, I definitely dabbled in “real cheese” versions and today, those meals still taunt me as the ultimate comfort food. After many attempts, I think I’ve finally landed on a recipe that is creamy, ooey-gooey and packed with cheese flavor—without the protein! And I’ve adapted it into a few different versions to provide options for flavor, phe content, and sustenance. I wish i would have had this growing up!

 

Phe Count:

60 mg phe / serving
Roughly 1.25 - 2 g of protein / 4 exchanges
Yield: 4 servings
—
Southwestern Green Chile version:
86 mg phe / serving
Roughly 1.75 - 2.5 g of protein / 5.7 exchanges

For “Chicken” & Broccoli version:
142 mg phe / serving
Roughly 2.8 - 4.5 g of protein / 9.5 exchanges


Ingredients:

Classic Macaroni & Cheese
1 box (250g) Lowprofin macaroni (or your fav alternative)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2.5 Tbsp Tofrutti “Better than Cream Cheese” (vegan cream cheese)
1.25 C So Delicious Coconut milk
1 C (112g) So Delicious cheddar shreds
2 Tbsp Big Daddy Mac Mix
**you can find it on Amazon**
Salt & pepper, to taste
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Note: There are many vegan cheese and non-dairy milk options, and availability varies greatly by grocery store. You can easily substitute those I’ve used with others, but be sure to recalculate phe content because they’re all different!

Southwestern Green Chile version:
1 Tbsp canola oil
3 garlic cloves (9g)
½ C (72g) of chopped green chiles (canned)
¼ C (40g) red onion
½ C (74g) red bell pepper
¼ C (4g) cilantro

“Chicken” & Broccoli version:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 can of jackfruit in brine (280g)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp Organic ‘“Better than Boullion” Chicken Base
2 Tbsp vegetable broth
2 C (156g) broccoli florets, steamed

Directions:

  1. Start by cooking your macaroni in a large pot (according to package instructions). Strain and set aside when done.

  2. Using the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat until completed melted.

  3. Then, add 1 C of your So Delicious coconut milk and your vegan cream cheese to the pot and whisk until the cheese melts and everything is combined into one liquid.

  4. Add your cheddar shreds and whisk again, until it they melt completely.
    Note: This will take longer than it did with the cream cheese. I like So Delicious cheeses best because they will melt completely in a sauce. If you use another non-dairy cheese, it may not melt completely into a ‘homogenous liquid’, but make sure it softens as much as possible and is mixed thoroughly.

  5. Then, add your Big Daddy Mac Mix powder and remaining ¼ C of coconut milk. The powdered cheese mix will add a lot of flavor to your sauce, but does tend to clump when first added, so whisk vigorously until it dissolves completely into the sauce.

  6. Finish by adding your cooked pasta to the pot and gently mix it all together, careful not to break your noodles. You should have enough sauce to not only coat the macaroni, but make it an ooey, gooey (cheesy) texture upon serving.

FUN TIP**
Sometimes I like to put the finished mac & cheese into a greased baking dish and top it with extra “cheese” and low-protein breadcrumbs. Broil for 4-5 minutes until the topping is browned, but watch to ensure it doesn’t burn. This gives it a nice crisp texture on top (and prettier presentation), but can also dry out the dish so isn’t as creamy. Keep it in just long enough to brown.


For the Southwestern Green Chile version:

  1. While your pasta is cooking, chop the veggies you’ll need. Finely dice the garlic and onion, strain the green chiles from the can, and chop the bell pepper into a larger, ¼” dice.

  2. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized skillet with canola oil and heat over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Stir continuously so they don’t burn.

  3. Then, add the green chiles and mix to combine all ingredients. Continue to stir until everything is well-mixed and heated through. Then, add the bell pepper and do the same.

  4. Set your veggies aside and complete the macaroni and cheese recipe above. At the end, simply stir in the veggie/pepper medley.

  5. Then, coarsely chop the cilantro and add it as a final ingredient.

For the “Chicken” & Broccoli version:

  1. While your pasta is cooking, start preparing the jackfruit. Drain the liquid from the can and coarsley chop so there are no pieces larger than ¼” or so.

  2. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with canola oil and heat until the pan is hot. Add the chopped jackfruit and stir until it’s heated through. Then, add the mustard and garlic powder and mix until evenly distributed.

  3. Next, add the “Better than Bouillon” and vegetable broth and stir again until mixed evenly. Continue to cook until jackfruit has a dry, meat-like texture (like chicken!).

  4. Add your steamed broccoli to the same skillet and set aside.

  5. Continue to cook the macaroni and cheese recipe above and when complete, add the skillet of veggies and gently stir to combine all ingredients.
    —
    Note: be careful not to overcook your broccoli or it will far apart as you stir. Not terrible if it does, but better to have it stay in tact for additional texture.


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