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Categories:
whole wheat macaroni butter substitute flour milk cheese American cheese crackers ground beef cumin garlic salt chili powder
Viewed: 50 - Published at: 7 years agoIngredients
- 16 ounces whole wheat macaroni (uncooked) or 16 ounces penne or 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup butter substitute
- 12 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups skim milk
- 14 ounces 2% Velveeta reduced fat cheese product
- American cheese
- 34 Ritz crackers
- 1 12-2 lbs 93% lean ground beef (optional)
- 1 -2 tablespoon cumin (optional)
- 1 tablespoon garlic salt (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (optional)
Method
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook pasta of your choice to al dente and set aside - leave it in the hot water though - you don't want it to dry out.
- Melt 1/2 cup of butter spread in a large saucepan.
- Add flour and whisk together (you need to use a whisk the entire time or the milk could curdle).
- Whisk in milk somewhat slowly and cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble and thicken.
- Stir constantly.
- (If you want to make this a main dish, at this point you should also be browning the beef with spices in a separate skillet).
- To the sauce mixture, add chunks of Velveeta a few at a time allowing them to melt before adding more.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain pasta and pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
- (Or use a round Corningware dish which will prevent dried out corners).
- Pour sauce over macaroni and mix well (add beef if you choose to do so).
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Add slices of cheese on top.
- Smash up crackers in a Ziploc bag.
- Melt 1/2 cup of the butter spread and mix with the cracker pieces - sprinkle over top of the casserole.
- Bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and crackers look a little golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then serve.
