Recipe: Creamy Four Cheese Macaroni

Let's get started with one of my favorite all time dishes. I haven't tried this recipe yet but it's on my to-do list.

Ingredients
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces light processed cheese (such as light Velveeta)
6 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup crushed onion melba toasts (about 12 pieces)
1 tablespoon reduced-calorie margarine, softened


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add cheeses; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in macaroni and salt.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Combine crushed toasts and margarine in a small bowl; stir until well-blended. Sprinkle over macaroni mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Three-Pepper Variation: add these ingredients for a spicier version of our Creamy Four-Cheese Macaroni. Add 1 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped seeded pickled jalapeño pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper at the same time the macaroni and salt are added.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 350(29% from fat); FAT 11.2g (sat 6.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.9g); IRON 1.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 32mg; CALCIUM 306mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.4g; SODIUM 497mg; PROTEIN 18g; FIBER 2.1g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 1996