Meal # 21 ~ "Healthier" comfort foods!!

Sunday was the most perfect IL day; the weather was beautiful -- it was in the 70s, sunny, with a nice light breeze!! We decided that we would grill & eat on our porch. We decided on two "healthier" comfort foods. Ryan manned the grill & made bruschetta turkey burgers with avocado mayo & I made "skinny" broccoli mac & cheese! We couldn't decide which of the two we liked better!!

Skinny Broccoli Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
12 oz high fiber pasta
2 T light butter
1/4 c minced onion
1/4 c flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth
2 cups fat free shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
12 oz frozen broccoli florets
1/8 c grated parm cheese
1/4 c bread crumbs
cooking spray

 

1. Cook your pasta to 'al dente'. During the last 2 minutes, add the frozen broccoli to the pasta. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Drain pasta & broccoli and add to baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. While pasta is cooking, start your sauce. In a large skillet, melt butter and add onion. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

3. Add flour and cook another minute until flour is golden and well combined.

4. Add milk & chicken broth. Whisk while raising heat to medium/high until it comes to a boil. Cook about 5 min until sauce becomes thick. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until melted and mixed well.

6. Pour on top of pasta and broccoli in casserole dish. Mix well. Top with grated cheese and bread crumbs. Spray top with cooking spray.

6. Bake for 15-20 min then broil for a few min to get breadcrumbs golden.

For dinner we had the bruschetta turkey burgers with avocado mayo & the broccoli mac & cheese.

The verdict: Like I mentioned earlier...we couldn't decide which we liked better. They were both really yummy. I will add the burger recipe at the end!

Link to Skinny Broccoli Mac & Cheese
Link to Bruschetta Turkey Burgers with Avocado Mayo *note -- I used plain Greek yogurt instead of mayo