Easy peasy cheesy macaroni

Recipes~Plus

Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes

Serves: 4

Type: Kids

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Ingredients

Olive or canola oil spray
375g elbow macaroni
40g mono-unsaturated margarine
1⁄3 cup plain flour
21⁄2 cups low-fat milk, warmed
1 cup grated low-fat tasty cheese
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups baby spinach leaves
200g 97% fat-free shaved ham, chopped
1 cup fresh soft wholegrain breadcrumbs

Preparation method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan forced. Spray 4 x 2-cup capacity ramekins with oil. Cook the macaroni in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and return to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, melt margarine in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add milk gradually, whisking vigorously until blended. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

3. Add cheese sauce, peas, spinach and ham to macaroni and stir to combine. Spoon into prepared dishes. Top with breadcrumbs and spray with oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until crusty and bubbly.

Macaroni cheese is a great place to hide cooked, diced vegies – broccoli, asparagus, pumpkin. While the kilojoule count is high, the fats are healthy if you use polyor mono-unsaturated margarine instead of butter, to reduce saturated fat. Two slices sandwich bread yield about 1 cup crumbs.

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