Granny’s Baked Mac and Cheese

Eating Well With Kim • Sept 2011

What makes a recipe a family favorite? For most families I think memories are involved and many times favorite recipes involve a holiday.

A few of my family favorites include my grandmother’s sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese and most of all her brown sugar pound cake. So far the only one I have lightened is the macaroni and cheese. I just love it and had to have it more often, so I tweaked it a bit.

As for the other two recipes, for now they are best left just as they are and moderate consumption will have to rule.

Enjoy the macaroni and cheese and I hope you continue to cherish old family recipes while discovering new favorites.

Until next time: Eat well, live well!

Granny’s Baked Mac and Cheese

• 1 16-ounce box of elbow macaroni
• 1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
• 5 ounces reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese; shredded and divided
• 4 ounces light processed cheese, cut into cubed (like Velveeta)
• 1 15-ounce can no added salt diced tomatoes (do not drain)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions, but reduce cooking time by about 1 minute (you want them slightly under cooked). Combine cooked noodles, onion, processed cheese, tomatoes and 2 ounces cheddar. Transfer pasta mixture to an oval casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese melts and casserole is hot throughout.

Yield:  12 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Nutrient Breakdown:  Calories 210, Fat 4g (sat. fat 2.5g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 240mg, Carbohydrate 33g, Fiber 2g; Protein 10g

Kim’s note: Yes, I did use plain white noodles in this recipe. Normally I use whole grains in my recipes. However, this recipe just does not taste the same using the whole wheat noodles and taste matters in the world of food. Most of our grains should be whole, but there is room in a healthy diet for some refined grains.

Kim Beavers is a Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator for University Health Care System. She lives in North Augusta with her husband and two children and she  is the co-host of the culinary nutrition segment Eating Well With Kim, which airs at noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday on WRDW. To join the recipe club or view recipes, visit www.universityhealth.org/ewwk. You can also watch the segments at www.wrdw.com/ewwk.