Quick and Healthy Snacks: Macaroni and Cheese

Quick and Healthy Snacks and Desserts

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Macaroni and cheese, also known as mac and cheese, is a classic dish that, of course, originated in Italy. When Italians travelled to other parts of Europe, they brought their pasta-making techniques with them, so that, by the 17th century, pasta, and in particular, macaroni was popular in countries like France and England.

mac_n_cheeseThe earliest written recipe for macaroni and cheese in English dates back to the 18th century, at about the same time that it crossed the Atlantic to North America. In the United States, macaroni and cheese became popular as a comfort food during the 19th and 20th centuries. In the early 20th century, boxed macaroni and cheese mixes were introduced, making it even more convenient to prepare.

However, while the boxed macaroni and cheese mixes are convenient, they lack nutritional value. The macaroni might be the standard product and, at best, the flavourings might contain dehydrated cheese, but they’re more likely to contain artificial ‘cheese flavouring’. For that reason, I decided to develop a quick, tasty and healthy method for making macaroni and cheese snacks from a wide range of real and nutritional ingredients.

I originally developed the microwave method, which can be made in about 10 minutes, but I’ve also provided a stovetop version. All the following recipes can be made from Pantry Essentials, so you should be able to whip up a bowl of Mac ‘n Cheese on a whim.

The following recipes are also suitable as mini meals for people with very limited stomach capacity. For more ideas for a quick and healthy hot snack or a mini meal, you might like to try Quick and Healthy Snacks: Soup-in-a-Mug.

 

Recipes:

Mac ‘n Cheese

Light Mac ‘n Cheese

Pesto Mac ‘n Cheese

Mac ‘n Cheese with Cauliflower/Broccoli

Mac ‘n Cheese with Spinach

Mac ‘n Cheese with Bacon

Egg Mac ‘n Cheese

Mac ’n Cheese Carbonara

Creamy Mac ‘n Cheese

Creamy Chicken ‘n Mac

Mac Marinara

Mac Napolitana

 

Mac ’n Cheese

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2 tsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in butter, pepper, parsley, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
  4. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  5. Stir in butter, pepper, parsley, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese
  6. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir

 

Light Mac ’n Cheese

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in butter, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  5. Stir in butter, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese
  6. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir (optional)

 

Pesto Mac ’n Cheese

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. basil pesto
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in pesto, olive oil and Parmesan cheese

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  5. Stir in pesto, olive oil and Parmesan cheese
  6. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir (optional)

 

Mac ‘n Cheese with Cauliflower/Broccoli

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • ¼ cup frozen cauliflower and/or broccoli
  • 2 tbsp. shredded mozzarella
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. In a small saucepan, boil macaroni with cauliflower and/or broccoli and simmer until macaroni are cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional), pepper and parsley
  4. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place cauliflower and/or broccoli in a 1 litre bowl with a little water and microwave on high for 2 minutes
  2. Drain, chop and set aside
  3. Place macaroni in the bowl with ½ cup cold water
  4. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  5. Stir and repeat twice
  6. Stir in cauliflower and/or broccoli, mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional), pepper and parsley
  7. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir

 

Mac ‘n Cheese with Spinach

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 portion frozen spinach
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Place frozen spinach in a cup and microwave on high for 45 seconds to thaw out
  2. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  3. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  4. Stir in butter, spinach, mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  5. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place frozen spinach in a cup and microwave on high for 45 seconds to thaw out
  2. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir and repeat twice
  5. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  6. Stir in butter, spinach, mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  7. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir (optional)

 

Mac ‘n Cheese with Bacon

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and set aside
  3. Melt butter in saucepan and sauté diced bacon
  4. Turn heat to low and return macaroni to saucepan
  5. Stir in mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  6. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place diced bacon in a small cup covered with a damp paper towel, microwave on high for 30 seconds and set aside
  2. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir and repeat twice
  5. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  6. Stir in bacon, mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
  7. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir

 

Egg Mac ’n Cheese

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Meanwhile, beat egg with Parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley
  3. Drain macaroni and return to saucepan over low heat
  4. Stir in butter and stir to heat through
  5. Stir in beaten egg until lightly cooked

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Let stand for 2 minutes
  5. Meanwhile, beat egg with Parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley
  6. Stir butter into macaroni
  7. Stir beaten egg into macaroni
  8. Microwave on high for a further 45 seconds and stir

Variation: stir a thawed portion of frozen spinach into the egg at Step 4 (Stovetop) or Step 6 (Microwave)

 

Mac ’n Cheese Carbonara

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 tsp. butter or margarine
  • 1 tbsp. diced bacon
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and set aside
  3. Meanwhile, beat egg with Parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley
  4. Melt butter in saucepan and sauté bacon
  5. Return macaroni to saucepan and stir until heated through
  6. Stir in beaten egg until lightly cooked

Microwave Method:

  1. Place diced bacon in a small cup covered with a damp paper towel, microwave on high for 30 seconds and set aside
  2. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  4. Stir and repeat twice
  5. Meanwhile, beat egg with Parmesan cheese, pepper and parsley
  6. Drain macaroni if necessary
  7. Stir in butter and bacon
  8. Stir in beaten egg
  9. Microwave for a further 45 seconds and stir

 

Creamy Mac ’n Cheese

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • ½ cup low-fat milk
  • ¼ cup shredded mozzarella
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Bring milk to the boil in a small saucepan
  2. Stir in macaroni and simmer until al dente (10–12 minutes)
  3. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (optional), pepper and parsley
  4. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni in a 1 litre bowl with milk
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese (optional), pepper and parsley
  5. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir

 

Creamy Chicken ‘n Mac

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 x 85gm can shredded chicken in water
  • 1 tbsp. shredded mozzarella
  • Pepper and parsley

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni or elbows in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in shredded chicken, mozzarella, pepper and parsley
  4. Stir until cheese is melted

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni or elbows in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Let stand for 2 minutes and stir
  5. Stir in shredded chicken, mozzarella, pepper and parsley
  6. Microwave on high for a further 30 seconds and stir

Variation: substitute ½ cup chopped cooked chicken for the canned chicken

 

Mac Marinara

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • 1 x 95gm can tomato flavoured tuna
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

 

Stovetop method:

  1. Boil macaroni or elbows in a small saucepan until cooked through (12–15 minutes)
  2. Drain and return to saucepan on a low heat
  3. Stir in tuna
  4. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Microwave Method:

  1. Place macaroni or elbows in a 1 litre bowl with ½ cup cold water
  2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes
  3. Stir and repeat twice
  4. Stir in tuna
  5. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional)
  6. Let stand for 1–2 minutes

Variation: substitute a partially drained 95gm can tuna in oil or water with 1 tsp. tomato paste, pepper and basil for the tomato flavoured tuna

 

Mac Napolitana

  • ¼ cup small macaroni or elbows
  • ¼ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. tomato paste (optional)
  • Garlic granules, dried onion, basil and pepper
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Stovetop method:

  1. In the small cup of a bullet blender, liquidise diced tomatoes with tomato paste (optional), herbs and spices
  2. Place in a small saucepan and gently bring to the boil
  3. Stir in ¼ cup boiling water and macaroni
  4. Simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring often and adding a little water if necessary
  5. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese

Microwave Method:

  1. In the small cup of a bullet blender, liquidise diced tomatoes with tomato paste (optional), herbs and spices
  2. Place in a 1 litre bowl and microwave on high for 60 seconds
  3. Stir in macaroni with ¼ cup cold water
  4. Microwave on high for 90 seconds
  5. Stir and repeat twice
  6. Let stand for 2 minutes
  7. Stir in a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
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