Chickpea Mac 'n' 4 Cheese
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The search for a healthy version of macaroni and cheese often comes up short. That's because the flavor from the higher fat content makes the American comfort food classic what it is. This version of that classic doesn't purport to be healthy per se, just healthier. It's packed with extra protein from pasta made from chickpeas. While not offering quite the same taste as the unmodified original, it holds its own fairly well. Give this easy-to-make recipe a go and see if you don't make this version of the popular comfort food your newest classic.
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Ingredients
8 oz chickpea shells pasta
16 oz Double Cheddar cheese sauce (1 jar) 2 slices American process cheese 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese |
Prep Time: 5 minutes
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[Note: Look in the pasta sauce section of your grocery store for jars of cheese sauce. I like the version made by Ragu. Most stores also sell a cheese blend containing (at least) cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Asadero cheeses and call it "Mexican" in the name. The variety used here contains no taco seasoning. Also, chickpea pasta comes in a variety of forms (spaghetti, macaroni, rotini, etc.), and any of them (or any other pasta for that matter) could be used in lieu of the chickpea shell pasta.]
Directions
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Bring water to boil. Add pasta, stir and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
The foam at the surface of the boiling water is normal when cooking chickpea pasta. Stirring occasionally prevents the pasta from sticking together in clumps. Of course, pasta made from chickpeas has a different flavor from the wheat-based version. When I first tried it, I thought it was nasty. But I used that experience to develop a cheese sauce that would at least mostly mask that flavor. This recipe does a good job of that. You can still taste the difference a little, but it's only a little. The preponderance of cheesy flavor (and I love cheese!) quickly diverts the taste buds in a different, more pleasurable direction. |
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Drain pasta. While pasta drains in colander, add cheese sauce to pot and stir in other cheeses. Stir often until all cheeses have melted and homogenized into a single sauce.
The key to making any version of mac and cheese great is how you make the sauce. And how you make the sauce makes a big difference in the final product. For this recipe, I prefer adding the cheeses in stages. First, I add the American cheese, tearing the slices into smaller pieces as I add them. Smaller sizes decrease the time it takes to melt into the sauce. I stir the sauce until it all seems to be melted in the mix. Then I add the other cheeses in the center as shown in the photo and slowly stir them in. |
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Once the sauce has homogenized, return pasta to pot and stir until all pasta is more or less evenly coated with cheese sauce. Serve warm.
I love making this dish, and here's why. It makes extra that I can portion into individual containers and freeze for later, and then those portions reheated in the microwave taste just as good as the portion I eat fresh from the pot. I never could get that effect from either more standard macaroni and cheese recipes or box mixes. Freezing the extras also means not needing to resort to those "easy mac" single-serving microwave varieties that contain so many chemicals you feel like you're eating fake food (and that's probably because you are). |
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