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Confession: Through my four years of undergrad, I didn’t eat a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Not once.

I know it’s supposed to be a staple item on the college diet, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

I think the above confession is largely due to the fact that the only ever Mac & Cheese I had ever known before coming to the U.S was my Dad’s homemade recipe with green peppers, bacon, real cheese and lotsa love. It didn’t come from a box, the ‘cheese’ wasn’t in the form of powder, and it certainly wasn’t an unsightly orange color. With that being said, I still enjoy the odd spoonful of Mac & Cheese when Kevin orders it as a side at various restaurants. I’m not opposed to it totally, I just can’t bring myself to eat the orange stuff that has the consistency of a clumpy glue pot I was slightly totally familiar with in first grade

Mac & Cheese has always seemed to have

the “once on the lips, forever on the hips” stigma associated with it. And there is good reason for that association. Normal Mac & Cheese can have approx. 850 calories per serving. Yikes!! The recipe below is slightly similar to one they are introducing on the new patient menu at the hospital I am currently interning at. This lighter version only has approx 450 calories and also packs a powerful veggie punch. Hint: Lots of Vitamin A and C.

Healthy Mac & Cheese

• 1/2 cup original almond milk (or 1% cow’s milk)
• 2 10oz packages of frozen squash
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 5 oz grated muenster cheese
• 2 oz grated mozzarella cheese
• 2.5 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta shells

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine both cheeses in a bowl along with cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Place frozen squash and milk in a saucepan and cook on low until squash is heated through. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to separate bowl, adding the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and return to the large pot. Remove squash from heat and add the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender, puree vegetables until smooth and light. Stir in cheese and add the sauce to the pasta, tossing well. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and bake for 25 mins.

The amount of cheese is considerably decreased in this recipe, but the cheesy flavor is definitely still there and it doesn’t taste like a big ol’ bowl of pasta and squash

So although this Mac & Cheese is still pretty brightly colored, at least I know it’s naturally colored from the large amount of squash. And that makes for one happy camper Aussie!

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