From celeb chef Rachael Ray’s new book, Yum-o! The Family Cookbook.
Get the book at Yum-o!, a nonprofit organization Ray founded to eradicate hunger in the United States and empower families to develop healthy eating habits. All proceeds go to Yum-o!
The secret ingredient in this mac ‘n’ cheese is Dijon mustard.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1½ cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked to al dente
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets and steamed until almost tender, 6-7 minutes
Instructions:
In a saucepot, melt the butter over medium-low heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock and milk. Thicken the sauce for 5 minutes and stir in cheese, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the secret ingredient (the mustard).
Toss sauce with whole wheat pasta and cauliflower. YUM-O!
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Comments (46)
I like Rachael’s ideas for fast meals, but this receipe sounds Yuck-O
I disagree. This meal sounds like a great comfort food. I like the cauliflower, but I would consider putting carrots in instead. What also makes this meal awesome is the simplicity. A meal that I could quickly make for the hubby and I when I get home from work.
Sounds pretty good — I like whole wheat pasta AND cauliflower!
However, I’m dissapointed that the recipes you guys publish don’t include nutritional breakdowns, i.e. carbs, fat, protein, fiber, sodium, etc. With a name like “Health”, it seems you’d provide this info, but I’ve not found it on one of your recipes yet.
I whole-heartedly agree with Sunny. Won’t even try it if I don’t know the nutritional breakdown per serving.
I try to eat healthy.
This doesn’t look like a healthy meal.
I just finished taking a 6b week class on “Nutritional Weight and Wllness” – this recipe is healthy [except for the pasta] – sounds great and well worth a try. Too many people are stuck in the ‘old way of thinking’ – new info substantiates this is a healthy recipe.
I am right there with the nutritional info, I don’t even see a serving size – I will not entertain trying a recipe if there isn’t any nutritional info provided.
You have got to be kidding, 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and that is healthy, no way. If this were to serve 4 can you imagine how many calories would be in that serving of cheese alone and that’s not counting the other ingredients! A serving of pasta is supposed to be 2 ounces not 4. I agree also that they need to post the nutritional value, maybe they didn’t for a reason…
Good God people! Live a little and eat some good food! Healthy does not mean fat free.
I totally agree with everyone else. If we are going to eat healthy, we need to know the nutritional breakdown. Without that,I will not try it.
I am a Weight Watcher. It would be great to know what is considered a serving size and the fiber, calories and total fat grams for each recipe. This enables me to calculate how much of something I can have and if it is point worthy.
I am in agreement with the others – no nutrition info – I won’t touch it – mainly due to my being on an insulin pump – and needing to have the carb count so I know how much insulin to shoot up with .
I am very surprised that the recipes you publish do not include nutritional breakdowns, i.e. carbs, fat, protein, fiber, sodium, etc. When trying to eat healthy, it only makes sence for HEALTH.COM to want the same.
Butter, whole milk, cheddar cheese and chicken stock…sounds like a fat and sodium nightmare. The whole wheat pasta is a nice start, but lack of creativity with the other ingredients keep it from being really healthy. PS I recently bought a flax and whole wheat pasta at Trader Joe’s. Now that’s fiber!
I feel sorry for you people. You don’t know the first thing about eating healthy. It’s ok to eat cheese and pasta. The key is to eat it in moderation.
I agree with the comments regarding a lack of nutritional info on this recipe. I could plug this recipe into a website like Calorie King or SparkPeople to arrive at the nutritional info, but why would I want to do that when I can obtain great tasting healthy Mac & Cheese recipes from the websites that already have the nutritional info included? Also, as “healthy” as this recipe may look, it could be made even healthier by a low-fat cheese and skim milk instead of what appears to be the full-fat versions listed in the ingredients list.
I’ve used the whole wheat pastas before and, when cooked properly, are better than the refined types. I look forward to trying the recipe both as stated and in a scaled down version with lowfat cheddar cheese and canned skim milk. When you’ve experienced healthy dieting long enough, you understand portion control, as well as fat, carbs, and fiber, without having to have a nutritional breakdown. Thanks for the recipe!!
You have got to be kidding me healthy? This recipe serves 4-6, now how healthy is 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and how many calories is a portion of her recipe? I tend to agree that I need to see the nutritional value of a recipe before I will use it and I rahter think this one is not healthy, ynfortunatley.
How healthy is 1/2 cup cheddar cheese per serving if you serve 4 people? Now, add all the other ingredients and I don’t think this is in the healthy range. I prefer to know the nutritional numbers.
C’mon – Substituting whole wheat pasta and adding cauliflower to a dish of pasta, wole milk cheese, milk, butter and flour does not make it healthy.
I say, skip the cauliflower, whole wheat pasta and the dijon, and you might have something.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I’m a Rachel Ray fan, but this is NOT what I would consider something that would be on a website named health.com! Maybe if made with low-fat cheese and skim milk it would be a little healthier, but as is, this is very high in fat and carbohydrates. You definitely need to include nutritional info!
wake up editors! many people need the nutritionals as the may need low-sodium, low carbs, low fat or low calories due to a “health” problem. So join the rest of the “health” magazines and due your part to help us to be “healthy”.
Everyone is griping about no nutritional info. While it would be nice if they provided that info, it’s easily found. Take all the ingredients’ packaging and figure it out yourselves…you have to do that with your “homemade” recipes. My mom is on a salt restriction adn carb counting due to diabetes. We just omit salt. there are LOTS of sites that have nutrition info in which you can put in your ingredients with amounts and it will figure it out for you. I think this recipe sounds SUPER tasty…in moderation.
Here’s yet another reason I doubt Rachel Ray’s credibility – especially as a source for anything healthy. I just lost about 60 pounds under a dietitian’s supervision, and about half the ingredients in this recipe are on the “don’t” list – and that’s just in terms of calories and fats. Those concerned about cholesterol, etc., probably shouldn’t even be in the same room as this dish.
Shame on you for running this recipe without the nutritional information.
I WILL try this recipe but i will try to replace the cauliflower with broccolli then add some grilled chicken breast strips and then it will be a MEAL
When I read this recipe (and I have seen her prepare it on her show) I immediately looked for the nutritional info. When I did not see it, I knew I wouldn’t make it. I agree, skim milk, low fat cheese, etc. would greatly reduce calories but those of us eating healthy know that mac and cheese, in it’s lightest form, is not a meal we can partake in.
My mother made something like this all the time when I was growing up, but with regular macaroni since Whole wheat pasta hadn’t been invented yet. She used to pop it in the oven for 30 minutes to brown the top a bit. It was our favorite meal, and everyone in my family is thin. It’s always nice to have nutrition information., though.
You people are pathetic. Yes, it would be nice to have nutritional info, but to say the meal is unhealthy, and you won’t try it, due to butter, milk and cheddar cheese just shows your ignorance. Has anyone ever heard of substituting? Use 1% or skim milk in place of whole milk; use low fat or fat free cheddar cheese in place of regular cheddar And the amount of butter is negligable. It’s not Rocket Science poeple!! It may not end up as creamy because some of the fat has been removed, but the taste should be there. Think outside of the box! Oh, and a serving size is typically a cup when it comes to pasta. You may be able to have slightly more by using lower fat/fat free ingredients!
Try adding some low fat cottage cheese and exchange the substitue low fat cheddar plus decrease the amount, and sprinkle in some parmesan to increase the sharpness.
I too cast my vote for including the nutritional information. I’m a Weight Watcher and when looking for new recipes I depend on the nutrional information. Looks like the general concensus is “INCLUDE THE NUTRTIONAL INFORMATION” and increase your fanbase.
OK, first of all everyone needs to calm down. As always, recipes are just a framework and a little (or a lot) of tinkering is acceptable. Make it as light or as rich as you want, but at least give it a whirl before you start flaming it.
And as for the people who are demanding nutritional value, download a calorie tracking program like Calorie King mentioned above, or a similar one, and you can add up fat/calories/carbs by entering in all of the individual ingredients and then dividing by your portion. If that’s too hard for you, then go buy a frozen dinner, but it seems like a few people’s brains could use a workout. :P
The recipe sounds good, but I would substitute broccoli for the cauliflower and use low-fat milk and 2% cheese to make it even healthier. Also I would get more than 6 servings out of that recipe.
Sounds good excepy for califlower try spinich instead and I agree you need the serving size =calories per= fat per= fiber per= and carb breakdown
I ran the recipe through the weight watchers recipe calculator and came up with 11 weight watchers points for 6 servings. That is a LOT!
Aw come un girls you all know what a serving is, if you don’t look on your macronia box and you have that healthy cauiflower taking up room from some of the carbs, you all know cheeder cheese is good protein and for people like me that don’t drink milk that’s how I get my protein. Just use your noggin’ girls. Of course I’m 84 years old so I wouldn’t know how to eat. Have a good day and good eating.
This is why I have discontinued my subscription to Rachael Ray’s magazine. I love it and her, except for the fact that it contains no nutritional info for most dishes.
You all need to stop reading things into recipes that are not there. I don’t see anything that says you have to use whole milk or that you can’t use low fat, low sodium broth. And compared to our mother’s mac and cheese, this is a whole lot healthier. I understand that diabetics need the breakdown info and it is critical for them but the rest of you need to stop reading numbers once in a while and just eat your food.
While this recipe has possibilities–substitute the butter, milk, cheddar cheese with low fat, low sodium versions–I’m close to shocked to see this posted as a “healthy” recipe; as it’s written, it’s a nightmare.
I just read through everyone else’s comments about the nutritional info…and have to say I agree. I lost 35 lbs about 8 years ago and watch my calories like a hawk…don’t want to gain it back! Also, my husband has to follow a REALLY low-sodium diet due to congestive heart failure. The first thing I look for is the nutritional aspect of a recipe. As several others have mentioned, there are enough sites out there that DO put in the nutritional info…so guess I won’t be trying any recipes from this site.
i need to see the nutrtional breakdown, can’t just trust that its healthy because its rachel ray!
Geez
No wonder there are so many obese Americans. This recipe is choc-ful of saturated fat and is about as calorie dense a meal as it gets. It is amazing how these tv celebrities think if you add a little veg and fiber to anything it becomes healthy…..even if the meal (even with substitutions) contains more calories at one sitting than you should consume in a whole day.
As I tell my kids, “if you want to eat healthy, shop along the perimeter of the store” If you do, things like sodium, sugar, corn syrup, trans fat, etc. are no longer an issue.”
Peace
Bob
It’s about 2050 calories for the whole recipe.
I can’t believe that all of you were so worried about the nutritional info it took me less time to figure all the fat, carbs, & protein than it did to write this comment.
I substituted skim milk, whole wheat flour, lowfat cheese, light butter, and fat free chicken stock. I left out the cauliflower, but this was wonderful to eat.
For those of you who are concerned so much with the calories here you go. This is total calories for the whole recipe.
total calories 2,015
total fat 56g
total carbs 347g
total protein 123g
total fiber 42g
It my professional decision this is healthy when you break it into 4 to 6 servings, and yes I am a health professional.
Check out Clean Eating magazine’s version of Mac n Cheese, much much healthier and it tastes great.
http://www.recipezaar.com/clean-mac-n-cheese-374626