Mac and Cheese - FIXATE Style

Who doesn't love a warm, cheesy, creamy comforting bowl of Mac and Cheese? But the boxed stuff is processed and full of preservatives, and the real, homemade version is full of saturated fat and calories. I don't know about you, but it's tough for me to just eat a 1/2 cup - the recommended serving size. All that creamy, melted cheese and carb-laden pasta, I could jump in a pan of homemade mac and cheese.

Lucky for me, Autumn Calabrese, creator of 21 Day Fix and 21 Day Fix Extreme, wrote a cookbook called FIXATE. The greatest feature of this cookbook: It gives the container equivalents for each recipe! AND it includes a healthified recipe for Mac and Cheese, still comforting, still cheesy, and still delicious, and for a TWO CUP SERVING!


I made mine gluten free with the ingredients in parentheses below, but the original recipe calls for whole wheat pasta.

Makes 8 two cup servings
Prep Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 17 min.

CONTAINER EQUIVALENTS (per serving)
1/2 Green

1/2 Yellow
1/2 Red

1 Blue

1/2 teaspoon

INGREDIENTS

4 oz. dry whole wheat macaroni (I used quinoa/brown rice blend fusilli from Trader Joe's)
4 tsp. organic grass-fed butter
2 TBSP unbleached whole wheat flour (I used brown rice flour)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/4 cups freshly grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast, boneless, skinless
4 cups chopped broccoli florets, steamed
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. (Do not use salt or oil if suggested in directions). Set aside.
2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute or until brown (don't let it burn).
4. Slowly whisk in almond milk; cook whisking constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture thickens and there are no lumps.
5. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted.
6. Add chicken, broccoli, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until heated through.
7. Serve immediately

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories: 245 per 2 cup serving
Total Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 68 mg
Sodium: 486 mg
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 0 g
Protein: 25 g

For more healthy recipes and support in your fitness and nutrition journey, check out my accountability groups or fill out the form below for more info!

Fill out my online form.

Use Wufoo templates to make your own HTML forms.