Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of the suggestions and ideas about meal planning! I wasn’t even sure if I was going to publish that post and I am super happy that I did.
Over an amazing meal last weekend which included potatoes au gratin, the BOY and I began discussing Mac n Cheese. Specifically how much we love the baked version. Is there anyone who doesn’t? My mom makes a mean Mac n Cheese and it comes from this Weight Watchers cookbook.
My Mom has made it numerous times, so I figured it was time that I gave it a try. What makes this dish so amazing is that it doesn’t skimp on the real ingredients (including butter). I haven’t been eating much dairy at all lately, but for special occasions and things that won’t work without it (ie ice cream and mac n cheese), I can make an exception!
You just have to eat them in moderation, which is REAL tough with this dish. Consider yourself warned!!! The BOY and I picked up the ingredients this weekend (as part of our kinda sorta starting to meal plan outing) along with some crab (extra protein) to add in.
I have never eaten crab mac n cheese, but I do love lobster mac and one time I ate crawfish mac, and growing up I used to throw tuna in my mac, so why not???
The recipe calls for elbow noodles, but we went with shells. There is just something about extra layers of cheese hiding inside these tiny noodles that just screams delicious! And don’t be shy with the whole wheat kind…you don’t even notice the difference.
I stirred in the crab with the noodles before throwing everything into the oven. I was a little nervous when I saw how watery the mixture looked, but I held out hope…
After 30 minutes in the oven, dinner was ready, and it looked and smelled incredible!
There’s not much more to say about this than YUM-ME!
Best mac n cheese EVER!
I can’t tell you how amazing our dinner was… you’ll just have to make it and try for yourself!
Leftover Alert:
The BOY actually heated up leftovers for dinner tonight and is still raving about it! He has added this to the top of the make again list. For a BOY who’s not into leftovers, that’s saying something!
Do you like Mac n Cheese?
What is your favorite M & C recipe?
Crabby Mac (and Cheese)
Based on a recipe from the Weight Watchers Pure Comfort Cookbook
Ingredients
1/2 pound whole wheat macaroni, about 2 cups
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups fat free milk
2 cups shredded fat free cheddar cheese (I used light cheese with 2% milk)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes in their juice (I left this out since the BOY doesn’t like tomatoes but my Mom uses Rotel)
1 8 oz package of imitation crab meat, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 (1 cup) baking dishes with nonstick spray; place on baking sheet. I used one big dish since I don’t have little ones, but little ones might be better for portion control!
2. Cook macaroni according to directions, omitting salt if desired.
3. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Increase the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the cheeses melt, about 1 minute.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the macaroni, crab meat, and tomatoes with their juice. Divide the mixture among the baking dishes (or pour into one dish). Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter in small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until they are evenly coated, about 1 minute. Sprinkle over the dishes and bake until bubbly and the tops are golden, about 25-30 minutes.
Luv What You Do 
i LOVE crab mac and cheese! here in baltimore, there is the BEST crab mac and cheese dish at a local favorite restaurant. it’s so so sinful, creamy, and cheesy but worth every freaking bite! i should try making it myself with lower fat options!!
Oh I bet it is incredible in Baltimore!!! I was pleasantly surprised with how rich and tasty this recipe turned out. It was pretty addictive and I was sad to see the leftovers disappear so quickly!
love the spicy Rotel I just made it with pepper jack cheese extra yummy
Good Call!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Yes, I LOVE Mac and cheese! I made gnocchi mac and cheese last night and it was delectable!
I lovee mac and cheese, it’s one of the main meals I miss since going vegan. This reminds me of the Velveeta shells and cheese (yours is OBVIOUSLY much healthier) but I LOVED that box of goodness with the cheese that hid in the shells!
Yes…Velveeta=college which equals tons of happy memories. I know there are some vegan mac n cheese recipes out there but I just don’t think they compare (even though they are tasty). If you ever have a cheat day, count this in to make the list! Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, crab mac and cheese sounds DIVINE! I LOVE LOVE LOVE mac and cheese, and am planning to make it for Thanksgiving–maybe I’ll have to class it up a bit and give this a shot!
This would be an amazing addition to your Thanksgiving table. You can add or subtract whatever you want to fit your crowd. Have a great weekend and enjoy your turkey day prep!
It’s so great that this is baked but still has that ooey gooey mac and cheese goodness. I also take it light on dairy, and typically only eat it in my dessert at the end of the day. But I can see why this totally requires exceptions 🙂
Ha ha! I promise this is worth the dairy and possible stomach ache to follow! But now it is back to a little dairy break : )
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YUM, I love that you added crab into it – how fancy! And I love that it adds some extra lean protein, too. =)
Exactly!
The originial recipe needed a little protein perk!
Thanks for the comment!
This looks delicious and I LOVE Mac n cheese. It’s one of my all time favorites and I make it a little differently each time…sometimes hot and spicy, sometimes savory. My favorite, back in my meat days, was Swiss cheese, cooked bacon and chives. It was the bomb.
Glad to hear the boy is hopping on your band wagon. Now you have to teach him the fine art of dicing, chopping and mincing. Prep chefs are also the bomb. 😉
No that is a great idea!!! Especially since he starts winter break soon!
I’ve had lobster mac, but never crab mac… sounds divine!
It really was…same idea but a little less fancy and more affordable!
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