Healthier Mac and cheese

So I was watching the food channel and they had a Mac and cheese show on. Mac and cheese has never been my favorite. I never really ate the yellow stuff in the box much when I was little. But, I was watching this and boy did I get in the mood for it. As we all know, macaroni and cheese is loaded with saturated fats and calories, so of course I had to try to make it a bit healthier. So, here is what I did:

1 lb of whole wheat rigatoni
1/2 c reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c white wheat flour
2 cups skim milk
1 package frozen puréed squash (mine was butternut)
Salt
Pepper
1/3 c parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni al dent e (just undercooked, by a minute)
Mix all other ingredients in a pot on low until thick.

You can also bulk this up with some veggies.

Mix pasta with the cheese sauce and pour into baking dish.
Sprinkle with a little breadcrumbs and more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake on 400 until tip is brown and cheese is a little bubbly, around 10 - 15 minutes.

It was really great. The squash made this look like orange Mac and cheese but it was really healthy, and the kids liked it!




-The cheese sauce. The squash made this really orange.




It was a hit ! I love finding things to make otherwise high calorie foods, healthier!
Will definitely make this again!

Today's tip: try to sneak vegetables into your food!!!

Blessings,

Trish