I have a guilty secret to share (okay, maybe more than one, but lets start this off easy), and it involves a love of cheese, butter, and carbohydrates that borders on the kinky.
What?
We've all heard of food porn, I see no reason why I can't be a little kinky when it comes to cheese.
I'll have what she's having!!!
Especially on a cloudy day.
And by cloudy I mean those days when you feel a little blue, under the weather, or in a funk. You know what I'm talking about... you're stuck on the couch in a furry pink bath robe watching back to back episodes of The People's Court - or worse - Maury Povich, and you just know on a deep cellular level that nothing goes better with the revelation he was not the baby daddy than a big hunk of soft white bread with butter and cheese. Or cheese grilled between two slices of buttered white bread. Or cheese melted into butter and cream and poured over white macaroni noodles.
I know, right?
The only problem is, after you've eaten it the TV screen as if by magic suddenly becomes inundated with beautiful women who obviously don't get depressed - or eat cheese. You click through the channels and there she is: Kelly Ripa looking perky on ABC, Giada De Laurentiis stirring meat sauce in a low cut number by Diane Von Furstenberg, the women of The Young and the Restless looking as young and restless as promised - hell, even the woman in the poise commercial is looking younger and hotter than, well, me.
I know this because on such a day a few weeks ago, I got up mid commercial to use the powder room and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. All I can tell you is that there's nothing more depressing than seeing yourself in the large pink robe your husband has been begging you to donate or, better still, burn, with day old mascara smudges under your eyes, uncombed hair, and a belly full of cheese, butter, and carbohydrates.
In other words, when the good ladies of Poise are making you feel fugly, it's time to get off the couch and make some changes. Or, at least, change up your mac and cheese.
Look at it sitting there all svelte and fabulous!
This easy recipe is something I came up with as part of my latest series called "Comfort Food Classics" - though you can't remove the pasta or the cheese from a mac and cheese recipe, there are some easy changes that - in my humble opinion - actually make mac and cheese way more delicious.
Instead of using cream and butter, I lightened things up with low fat cream cheese and low sodium chicken stock. And then it's all about the comfort - brought to you by Gruyere and sharp cheddar to be exact! Put on a push up bra, a little lipstick, and melt that oooey goooey loveliness into the chicken stock and cream cheese. Girlfriend, Giada ain't got nothin on you now. To prove it, add a little fibre to your life by using a high fibre macaroni noodle that is disguised as a regular noodle. Italpasta makes a product called Total Pasta and it is the bomb diggity. Mix all that velvety creaminess together (I told you we were gonna get kinky) and VOILA!
Amazingness on a plate!
Visit the printable recipe here: Mac and Cheese
Or come on over to the Kitchen Witch cottage and cook along with me. The coffee's usually on... or I can always be tricked into opening a bottle of wine!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serves:6
Ingredients
About Lyndsay the Kitchen Witch
Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.
Visit her on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel where she puts out three new cooking videos each week.
What?
We've all heard of food porn, I see no reason why I can't be a little kinky when it comes to cheese.
I'll have what she's having!!!
Especially on a cloudy day.
And by cloudy I mean those days when you feel a little blue, under the weather, or in a funk. You know what I'm talking about... you're stuck on the couch in a furry pink bath robe watching back to back episodes of The People's Court - or worse - Maury Povich, and you just know on a deep cellular level that nothing goes better with the revelation he was not the baby daddy than a big hunk of soft white bread with butter and cheese. Or cheese grilled between two slices of buttered white bread. Or cheese melted into butter and cream and poured over white macaroni noodles.
I know, right?
The only problem is, after you've eaten it the TV screen as if by magic suddenly becomes inundated with beautiful women who obviously don't get depressed - or eat cheese. You click through the channels and there she is: Kelly Ripa looking perky on ABC, Giada De Laurentiis stirring meat sauce in a low cut number by Diane Von Furstenberg, the women of The Young and the Restless looking as young and restless as promised - hell, even the woman in the poise commercial is looking younger and hotter than, well, me.
I know this because on such a day a few weeks ago, I got up mid commercial to use the powder room and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. All I can tell you is that there's nothing more depressing than seeing yourself in the large pink robe your husband has been begging you to donate or, better still, burn, with day old mascara smudges under your eyes, uncombed hair, and a belly full of cheese, butter, and carbohydrates.
In other words, when the good ladies of Poise are making you feel fugly, it's time to get off the couch and make some changes. Or, at least, change up your mac and cheese.
Look at it sitting there all svelte and fabulous!
This easy recipe is something I came up with as part of my latest series called "Comfort Food Classics" - though you can't remove the pasta or the cheese from a mac and cheese recipe, there are some easy changes that - in my humble opinion - actually make mac and cheese way more delicious.
Instead of using cream and butter, I lightened things up with low fat cream cheese and low sodium chicken stock. And then it's all about the comfort - brought to you by Gruyere and sharp cheddar to be exact! Put on a push up bra, a little lipstick, and melt that oooey goooey loveliness into the chicken stock and cream cheese. Girlfriend, Giada ain't got nothin on you now. To prove it, add a little fibre to your life by using a high fibre macaroni noodle that is disguised as a regular noodle. Italpasta makes a product called Total Pasta and it is the bomb diggity. Mix all that velvety creaminess together (I told you we were gonna get kinky) and VOILA!
Amazingness on a plate!
Visit the printable recipe here: Mac and Cheese
Or come on over to the Kitchen Witch cottage and cook along with me. The coffee's usually on... or I can always be tricked into opening a bottle of wine!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Serves:6
Ingredients
- 1 cup low/no sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup Philly light cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 4 cups macaroni noodles
- Cook the macaroni noodles in boiling water for four minutes. Add salt during the last 30 seconds of boiling
- Meanwhile, bring the cup of broth to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium high and add the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese in incorporated into the sauce. Add the other cheeses and stir until melted. Reduce heat to low.
- When macaroni has cooked 4 minutes, drain it and then add to the hot cheese sauce. Stir well, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with fresh cracked black pepper.
About Lyndsay the Kitchen Witch
Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.
Visit her on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel where she puts out three new cooking videos each week.
wow, this is so unlike any mac and cheese recipe I have ever made, I love it!
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