Low-Carb Homemade Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? This is a great way to satisfy everyone's craving for this classic, but still adhere to the low-carb guidelines. My daughter tells me "Mom's Mac & Cheese" is better than the box stuff!!! :) That sure feels good :)

Low-Carb Homemade Mac & Cheese

8 oz. dried elbow macaroni (2 cups) We use Dreamfields Pasta - it is low-carb pasta and can be purchased on-line or at Fry's ( I have used penne pasta or rotini as well)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 Tablespoons butter/margarine
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups of milk
2 cups shredded cheddar (8 oz.)
1 cup shredded american cheese (4 oz.) (I use Velveeta)

Cook macaroni as per package directions, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, saute onion in melted butter until tender, but not brown. Stir in flour and stir for a minute or two. Add milk all at once, whisking the milk into the flour mixture, continue cooking over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. (This will typically take 10-15 minutes). TIP - You can warm up your milk in the microwave or another pot so that when you add it to your onion/butter/flour mixture it doesn't take as long to heat it up.

Add cheeses to the milk mixture, stirring until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni, or put macaroni in 2 quart baking dish and then pour sauce over the top. Combine the noodles/sauce mixture in your baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated throgh. let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Options: You can change up the types of cheese you use to make it different each time - try some pepper jack cheese to spice it up one night or a combination of sharp cheddar and jack cheeses. I would still use some of the american to help keep the smooth texture you are looking for in the sauce.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2 lbs. of beef cut into cubes or strips (I would use chuck roast/round steak)
1/2 teaspoon Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
10 3/4 oz. Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 envelope Lipton dry onion soup mix
9 oz. jar of sliced mushrooms, drained
2 Tbspon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream

Place cubed or strips of beef in crock pot; in bowl combine mushroom soup, broth, Garlic Garlic, dry onion soup mix. Pour mixture over beef and cook on low 6-7 hours or 3- 31/2 hours on high. Stir in mushrooms and sour cream and cook on high another 10-15 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice (we use low-carb noodles or brown rice).

Serves 4-6.

No-Boil Noodle Lasagna

Here is a classic that will please the whole family!!! We use low-carb lasagna noodles to keep us on track with South Beach. It is so much easier because you don't need to cook your lasagna noodles before assembling the lasagna. It is healthy and really easy to make ahead. I made the lasagna this afternoon and baked it, then loosely covered with foil and turned the oven off. It was still hot when we returned from our afternoon activities - yummy!!! We will usually freeze the other half of the pan of lasagna so that it will serve us for another dinner in a few weeks on a night when we are really busy.

Lasagna

1 pound of ground beef
12 dry lasagna noodles
40 oz. of tomato/pasta sauce ( we use a low-carb sauce)
3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 16 oz. container of cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 egg

In a large sautee pan brown ground beef (or ground turkey), drain. Add tomato sauce and simmer on low for about 5 minutes to warm the sauce through. While meat mixture is simmering, in a small bowl combine one beaten egg and the cottage/ricotta cheese. In a 9x13 baking dish (I use pyrex), begin assembling lasagna. Lay four noodles in bottom of dish - I use three going the long way and then break the fourth to put width-wise across the top, then spoon 1/3 of your meat sauce mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle 1/3 of the cottage cheese/egg mixture on top of the sauce, then 1/3 of shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat these same layers twice more then cover with foil. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees, bake, covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 25 minutes or until to pis lightly browned. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Makes 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!!!