I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
but it wasn't what I expected to see.

How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
Mac & Cheese?
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:35:39 -0800, sf > wrote:

>
>I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
>up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
>when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
>cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
>but it wasn't what I expected to see.
>
>How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
>Mac & Cheese?
>http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454

get rid of the cream or half & half. Plain milk would work as well
and have less calories and fat. I don't think I would like this
recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
squash.
Janet US

On Thursday, January 10, 2013 1:01:35 PM UTC-6, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:35:39 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>
>
> >
>
> >I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
>
> >up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
>
> >when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
>
> >cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
>
> >but it wasn't what I expected to see.
>
> >
>
> >How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
>
> >Mac & Cheese?
>
> >http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454
>
>
>
> get rid of the cream or half & half. Plain milk would work as well
>
> and have less calories and fat.

No! No! No! Cream is a much better lightener than milk. I can prove it. Take three small cups of coffee, and add 1T of milk to the first, 1 T of half&half to the second, and 1 T of cream to the third. Now stir and look at them. You will notice that the cream one is the lightest, and the milk one the darkest.

> I don't think I would like this
>
> recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
>
> squash.

I agree. Ick.
>
> Janet US

--Bryan

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:01:35 -0700, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>
> > I don't think I would like this
> > recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
> > squash.
>
> Agree. The slimeyness of any cooked squash next to the saucy cheese
> would totally suck. If I had to add vegetables to M&C it would be
> something that would stand up to baking such as water chestnuts,
> jicima, or even carrots and/or potatoes and/or fresh green beans.

I suggest cauliflower. Plays well with cheese.

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:01:35 -0700, Janet Bostwick
> wrote:

> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:35:39 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
> >
> >I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
> >up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
> >when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
> >cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
> >but it wasn't what I expected to see.
> >
> >How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
> >Mac & Cheese?
> >http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454
>
> get rid of the cream or half & half. Plain milk would work as well
> and have less calories and fat. I don't think I would like this
> recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
> squash.

Thanks - I'd use milk too and probably more stock/less milk... but I
was thinking that squash would make up for the viscosity I'd lose by
cutting back on the amount of cheese. I don't use "low fat" cheese,
so that was a no-go from the git-go.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Thursday, January 10, 2013 2:16:19 PM UTC-6, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:35:58 -0800 (PST), Bryan wrote:
>
>
>
> > No! No! No! Cream is a much better lightener than milk. I can
>
> > prove it. Take three small cups of coffee, and add 1T of milk to
>
> > the first, 1 T of half&half to the second, and 1 T of cream to the
>
> > third. Now stir and look at them. You will notice that the cream
>
> > one is the lightest, and the milk one the darkest.
>
>
>
> In this case, just add some zinc or titanium oxide and skip the fat
>
> all together.
>
Some folks might not like those newfangled lighteners, and prefer to stick with lead carbonate.
>
> -sw

--Bryan

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:46:16 -0800, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

> Sqwertz wrote:
> >
> > On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:01:35 -0700, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> >
> > > I don't think I would like this
> > > recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
> > > squash.
> >
> > Agree. The slimeyness of any cooked squash next to the saucy cheese
> > would totally suck. If I had to add vegetables to M&C it would be
> > something that would stand up to baking such as water chestnuts,
> > jicima, or even carrots and/or potatoes and/or fresh green beans.
>
> I suggest cauliflower. Plays well with cheese.

That's a good idea, I still haven't made the roasted cauliflower
gratin I've been meaning to try. Looking at my "favorite" (to hate)
poster's reply - anyone who thinks butternut squash is slimy is eating
what he blew out his ass.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Steve wrote:

>> I don't think I would like this recipe, I'm thinking there could be a
>> nasty mouth feel from the squash.
>
> Agree. The slimeyness of any cooked squash next to the saucy cheese would
> totally suck. If I had to add vegetables to M&C it would be something
> that would stand up to baking such as water chestnuts, jicima, or even
> carrots and/or potatoes and/or fresh green beans.

I dunno; butternut squash risotto has no textural problems, and this isn't
all that different.

Bob

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:46:16 -0800, Mark Thorson >
wrote:

>Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 12:01:35 -0700, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>
>> > I don't think I would like this
>> > recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
>> > squash.
>>
>> Agree. The slimeyness of any cooked squash next to the saucy cheese
>> would totally suck. If I had to add vegetables to M&C it would be
>> something that would stand up to baking such as water chestnuts,
>> jicima, or even carrots and/or potatoes and/or fresh green beans.
>
>I suggest cauliflower. Plays well with cheese.

My last 'un-mac' and cheese was cauliflower, carrots, snow peas,
cashews I put them in at the beginning-- next time they get mixed in
at the end] onion, garlic, and a cheese sauce-- Topped with shredded
mozz and French's onions.

I was nervous about the peas-- but they gave it some nice color and
tasted fine.

Jim

sf wrote:
> I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
> up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
> when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
> cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
> but it wasn't what I expected to see.
>
> How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
> Mac & Cheese?
> http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454

That recipe looks like it would taste just fine _without_ its odd
ingredient, squash. Which suggests to me you'd do better to find
another recipe altogether.

Another odd thing - check out this line near the bottom:

"Put half of the mixture into small ramekins or muffins tins and bake
for 20 minutes."

It doesn't ever say what to do with the other half of the recipe.

And it looks like a _big_ recipe. I made 1 lb. of pasta yesterday and
even that will feed a couple of teenagers for a while when other things
are added. (I made capellini, drained it, made a sauce of olive oil,
butter, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic in the pasta pot, put the
pasta back in and added some cut up leftover breaded chicken tenders and
some diced pork sausage. It was a big hit with the boys here.)

She's using 2 lbs. of pasta, over a pound of frozen squash, half a pound
of cheese - that's one big pot of mac and cheese.

-S-

-S-

On 1/10/2013 9:01 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 10:35:39 -0800, sf > wrote:
>
>>
>> I saw the title of this recipe and thought it looked good... lightened
>> up mac & cheese is always worth a shot. Imagine my disappointment
>> when I read it and found out it has all the fat of regular mac &
>> cheese plus squash. I guess it's a good way to sneak a vegetable in,
>> but it wasn't what I expected to see.
>>
>> How would you lighten up this recipe and still retain the integrity of
>> Mac & Cheese?
>> http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rac...heese-18163454
>
> get rid of the cream or half & half. Plain milk would work as well
> and have less calories and fat. I don't think I would like this
> recipe, I'm thinking there could be a nasty mouth feel from the
> squash.
> Janet US
>

Squash is a good food if you're trying to lose weight but most people
don't care for it. My son makes a pretty good spaghetti squash casserole
with tuna and Laughing Cow low fat cheese cubes. I'm trying to get him
use Velveeta cause it's cheaper but he's on a restricted calorie diet.
It's pretty tasty but I'm not on a diet.

On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:29:57 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
wrote:

>
> That recipe looks like it would taste just fine _without_ its odd
> ingredient, squash. Which suggests to me you'd do better to find
> another recipe altogether.

Coincidentally, I just did (but it includes squash, which is what
attracted me in the first place) and this one appeals even more.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/crea...0400000115195/

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Thursday, January 10, 2013 11:34:21 PM UTC-6, sf wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:29:57 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >
>
> > That recipe looks like it would taste just fine _without_ its odd
>
> > ingredient, squash. Which suggests to me you'd do better to find
>
> > another recipe altogether.
>
>
>
> Coincidentally, I just did (but it includes squash, which is what
>
> attracted me in the first place) and this one appeals even more.
>
> http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/crea...0400000115195/
>
>
>
> --
>
> Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

I've made that recipe - it's really good. It doesn't taste like my traditional mac and cheese, because it doesn't use cheddar cheese, but it is very tasty on its own merits.

On Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:34:00 -0800 (PST), Michelle
> wrote:

> On Thursday, January 10, 2013 11:34:21 PM UTC-6, sf wrote:
> > On Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:29:57 -0500, "Steve Freides" >
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > That recipe looks like it would taste just fine _without_ its odd
> >
> > > ingredient, squash. Which suggests to me you'd do better to find
> >
> > > another recipe altogether.
> >
> >
> >
> > Coincidentally, I just did (but it includes squash, which is what
> >
> > attracted me in the first place) and this one appeals even more.
> >
> > http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/crea...0400000115195/
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
>
> I've made that recipe - it's really good. It doesn't taste like my traditional mac and cheese, because it doesn't use cheddar cheese, but it is very tasty on its own merits.

Thanks for the feedback, Michelle!


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.