I go through Pinterest phases where one day all I’ll pin is fashion. The next day I’ll ogle at only interior design. Recently, I got into a tizzy over food inspiration. Consistently, I found myself re-pinning recipes from the same place: Gina’s Skinny Recipes. The NY-based author, photographer and recipe developer shares healthier versions of all our favorite foods. She’s not one of those foodies who swears off sugar, dairy and carbs; she just makes small changes and believes in portion control. (Her recipes also come with Weight Watchers points.)
But I wanted to see if she could talk the talk and walk the walk, if you know what I mean. So I picked a typically indulgent meal — macaroni and cheese — and tried her lighter version. It was a hit — and a lot less heavy than the jalapeno macaroni I usually make. Eaman and I devoured all but a small scoop of it by dinner and lunch the next day. (OK, maybe that’s not a great lesson in portion control.)
Here are a few personal notes:
– A face-down wooden spoon really does keep a pot from boiling over, a trick I learned from Paper/Plates.
– I had only regular butter and used 2 tbsp of that instead of 1 regular, 1 light.
– I added cayenne pepper.
– I also added 4 cloves of minced garlic and sauteed them along with the diced onion.
– I didn’t have fresh baby spinach and instead threw in 16 ounces of frozen spinach, but make sure to drain the latter version like crazy. I heated it up in the microwave and squeezed it out portion by portion. (By the way, I think 16 ounces was the perfect proportion of greens compared to the pasta and cheese.)
– The recipe doesn’t come with exact salt measurements, so be sure to frequently taste the sauce to make sure you’re not over- or under-salting.
– I refrigerated my mac and cheese in the baking dish until dinnertime. But I waited until just before putting it in the oven to sprinkle the bread crumbs — I used Panko — and grated Parmesan.
Check out the process:
Hey — thanks for the shoutout! I definitely have to try this recipe out :)
This looks so delish and definitely a bit more healthy than our normal mac and cheese! I never would have thought to add spinach but I bet it tastes yummy and is an easy way to get more veggies! Thanks for sharing!!
You’re so right — it’s a really easy way to get your veggies in! And truth be told, I think the spinach (or broccoli or whatever you choose to add) makes the dish a lot more balanced. Thanks for reading!
A light, spicy mac & cheese recipe with spinach? I’m sold!
Just came across your blog by the way, it’s great! I added you to my Bloglovin’ roll.
http://www.melindadiorio.com
Spice is the common thread to any mac and cheese I like. I’ll never say no to cayenne pepper and garlic! Glad you found me, Melinda. Thanks for reading!