Best Birds Famous Macaroni And Cheese Lite Recipes

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BIRD'S FAMOUS MACARONI AND CHEESE



Bird's Famous Macaroni and Cheese image

A fabulous always-requested recipe! I stongly suggest buying block cheeses and grating/shredding them fresh for the most flavorful macaroni and cheese you will ever taste. For a healthier version, try Recipe #272413.

Provided by 2Bleu

Categories     Cheese

Time 40m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (or parm or romano mix)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
16 ounces elbow macaroni, fully cooked (large style)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Stir in flour, salt, dry mustard and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk and heavy cream, stirring continuously until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses (a little at a time) and mix until smooth and cheese has melted.
  • In a large bowl, pour cheese mixture over macaroni, mixing well. Place mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs on top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 653.6, Fat 35.6, SaturatedFat 21.3, Cholesterol 112.3, Sodium 899.7, Carbohydrate 59.3, Fiber 2.5, Sugar 7.4, Protein 24

THE BEST BAKED MAC AND CHEESE



The Best Baked Mac and Cheese image

A blend of three cheeses delivers a punch of flavor in this creamy mac and cheese. Toasted breadcrumbs give a crunchy texture contrast.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h10m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
Half a loaf day-old French bread
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups milk
8 ounces fontina cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
8 ounces Gruyere, grated (about 2 cups)
1 pound sharp yellow Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just slightly softened, about 6 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and rinse under cold water.
  • Meanwhile, remove the crusts from the bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Pulse in the food processor until the bread breaks into bean-sized pieces.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
  • Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and slightly golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sauce begins to boil and thicken, about 7 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the fontina, Gruyere and all but 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar until fully melted. Stir in the pasta, adding the reserved pasta water as needed to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with the melted butter. Spread the pasta mixture in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar evenly over the pasta, then scatter the toasted breadcrumbs on top. Bake until heated through and just bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

BIRD'S FAMOUS MACARONI AND CHEESE (LITE)



Bird's Famous Macaroni and Cheese (Lite) image

This is a lighter side of my Recipe #263081 and prepared in a slow cooker. I've reduced the calories down from 616, fat down from 38g, and carbs down from 44.5g.

Provided by 2Bleu

Categories     Cheese

Time 3h10m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/4 cup reduced fat margarine, cut into pieces
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese (mild)
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (or Romano mix)
1 (12 ounce) can cheddar cheese soup
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked

Steps:

  • In a medium saucepan, mix margarine and milk. Add the cheeses and cheese soup until the cheeses melt.
  • Add the eggs, sour cream, mustard, salt, and pepper and stir well.
  • Add macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 426.5, Fat 18.8, SaturatedFat 9.9, Cholesterol 108.4, Sodium 1139.1, Carbohydrate 41.7, Fiber 1.8, Sugar 6.7, Protein 22

THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE



The Best Macaroni and Cheese image

Amanda Hesser brought this recipe to The Times in a 1998 article about a return to simply-prepared, down-home foods in response to the brash, over-the-top 90's style of cooking. It's an adaptation of one found in Pam Anderson's book, "The Perfect Recipe," and it calls for stirring the mixture every five minutes while it is baking. This gives it the ideal balance of lightness and creaminess -- a detail that is missing from most macaroni and cheese recipes.

Provided by Amanda Hesser

Categories     dinner, weekday, casseroles, editors' pick, pastas, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup fresh bread crumbs from French or Italian bread
2 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter, plus 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
2 large eggs
12 ounces evaporated milk, heated until warm
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
10 to 12 ounces mild cheddar cheese, grated

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a 1 1/2-quart heat-proof dish, such as a souffle pan, in oven to warm.
  • In a small baking pan, combine bread crumbs, a pinch of salt and the melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the macaroni. Cook until almost tender but still a little firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to preheated dish. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.
  • In a small bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, the pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the black pepper and the mustard mixture. Mix well. Pour egg mixture over macaroni. Add 3/4 of the cheese, and stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt.
  • Place dish of macaroni and cheese in the oven, and bake for 5 minutes. Remove dish from oven and add about half of the remaining evaporated milk, and half of the remaining cheese. Stir well, and return pan to oven. Bake 5 minutes longer, remove pan from oven, and stir thoroughly. If mixture does not look moist and creamy, add a little more of the milk and cheese. Return to oven for an additional 20 minutes, removing pan from oven halfway through to stir in remaining evaporated milk and cheese.
  • While macaroni is baking, add pan of bread crumbs to oven. Bake until bread crumbs are toasted and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. When macaroni has baked, sprinkle surface with toasted bread crumbs, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 824, UnsaturatedFat 14 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 42 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 39 grams, SaturatedFat 23 grams, Sodium 829 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams, TransFat 1 gram

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