On Monday, She Ate...

Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese 

After a long, hard week of dieting and working out, Patrick and I wanted a little comfort food. Is this an option with Weight Watchers? Could we enjoy one of our favorite fatty-fat foods? Could carbohydrates and cheese last a moment on our lips without journeying to our hips? 

The answer is YES! This recipe is really good. And also super easy, which is nice at the beginning of the week when I don't really feel like whipping up anything complex. I added a little bit of jalapenos for a little extra kick! 

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese 
Points Plus Value: 6 Points 
adapted from: Weight Watchers

Whatcha Need: 

• 1 Tbsp butter (regular! not light!)
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, diced
• 1.5 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 0.5 cup skim milk
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (we used the realllly good expensive stuff)
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 4 cups already cooked elbow macaroni

Whatcha gotta do:

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet.

2. Add the flour, stir constantly and let it brown slightly. This takes about a minute

3. Add the tomatoes and diced jalapeno and let the mixture thicken up and bubble. This takes about 2-3 minutes

4. Add the milk, both of the cheeses, the mustard, and the salt. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes as the cheese melts all the way. It'll look like delicious chili cheese dip! But it isn't!

5. Stir in the macaroni noodles until they are all coated evenly.

This makes one cup per serving. It is so delicious! I had leftover points from the day, so I had TWO cups of macaroni and cheese. I ate it like I hadn't eaten in 3 days...and I was satisfyingly stuffed afterwards. I thought it tasted like a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, which I love. I was so pleasantly surprised by the dish; I was afraid it was going to be bland and gross. On the contrary, it was cheesy and creamy and the punch of jalapeno was really fantastic. The recipe suggested adding a little bit of bread crumbs for extra crunch, but that would affect Points values. Maybe next time.

Tomorrow is our one-week weigh in! I really wanted to weigh in today, but Patrick and I agreed we should have a full 7 days under our belt.