Healthier Baked Macaroni And Cheese

This dish was developed for the *make it healthier game* and based on 3killerb's recipe #208573. my sister in law's mother also makes a custard based macaroni and cheese so i was interested in the chance to work on a version that while not low-fat, certainly lower than most dishes of this sort. Use the sharpest cheddar or other cheese you can find for best results. The zucchini is a nice way to add extra volume to the dish without adding calories. if your family is averse to green, peel the zucchini first.

Steps

Cook macaroni according to package directions but two minutes less than suggested by the directions.

Add the zucchini bites and cook an additional minute.

Drain and rinse.

Place 1 / 4 cup of your skim milk into a small saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk in the powdered milk and dry mustard until there are no lumps.

This step enriches the milk without adding fat.

Now whisk in the corn starch until there are no lumps and the milk is warmed but not hot.

Add in the remaining milk and turn off the heat.

Mix in the egg substitute.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Guessing paprika , onion or garlic powder might be nice here as well.

Prepare a 9 inch square pan with a coating of butter flavored cooking spray.

After grating the cheese , reserve 1 / 4 of the amount for the top.

Place 1 / 3 of the pasta and zucchini into the bottom of your baking dish.

Cover with 1 / 2 of the remaining cheese.

Repeat , with a second layer of pasta and cheese.

Place the final third of pasta on.

Ingredients

cooking spray, whole wheat macaroni, zucchini, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, non-fat powdered milk, cornstarch, dry mustard, skim milk, egg substitute, salt, fresh ground black pepper