macaroni – bFeedme

Tuna layered with Garlic, Mushroom and Red Peppers, between Macaroni, all under a deliciously light crunchy topping.

If you’re not a big Tuna fan, replace it with cooked chopped Chicken, Beef or Pork, or with three or four hard boiled eggs, sliced up. And, if like me, you’re a cheese addict, add as much as you want, but you might want a mild tasting one rather than a stronger, more mature flavoured cheese.

To serve 2
125g Dried Macaroni
2tbsp Oil
1 Garlic Clove, peeled and crushed
60g Button Mushrooms, sliced
½ Red Pepper, thinly sliced
200g Can of Tuna, drained and flaked
½ tsp Dried Oregano
30g Butter
1tbsp Plain Flour
250ml Milk
2 Tomatoes, sliced
2tbsp Dried Breadcrumbs
30g Mature Cheddar or Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper

1. Cook the Macaroni in boiling Salted Water, with a tablespoon of Oil, until tender – around twelve minutes, before draining, rinsing and draining thoroughly
2. Heat the rest of the Oil in a Saucepan, and add the Garlic, Mushrooms and Peppers, frying over a medium heat until soft. Add the Tuna, Oregano and season to taste, before heating through.
3. Grease an Ovenproof dish and add half of the cooked Macaroni, cover with the Tuna Mixture, then layer with the remaining Macaroni.
4. To make the sauce, melt the Butter, then stir in the Flour for a minute. Add the Milk, then bring to the boil – simmer for a minute or so, until thickened, and season to taste. Pour the sauce over the Macaroni.
5. Lay the sliced Tomatoes over the Sauce over the Macaroni, then cover with the Breadcrumbs and Cheese – place in a heated oven (set at 200C) until brown on top, and piping hot through – around twenty five minutes.

Photo Courtesy of: zoyachubby

This low-fat, low calorie alternative to the classic Macaroni Cheese is still filled with all the tastes and flavours of any other recipe you could find.

To Serve 4

150g Macaroni

100g Broccoli Florets

525ml Skimmed Milk

½ Small Onion

1 bay leaf

25g Butter

25g Flour

¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper

2tsp Cornflour

½tsp Dried Mustard Powder

50g Grated Parmesan Cheese

125g Low-fat Mature Cheddar

1 Slice of Bread turned into Crumbs

1 Tomato, Sliced

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220 C/ Gas Mark 7.

2. Boil the Macaroni for thirteen minutes and drain, before cooking the Broccoli in a pan of simmering water for four minutes. Drain and rinse the Broccoli, before draining again.

3. Keep 3tbsp of the Milk aside, pour the rest into a pan with the finely sliced Onion and Bay Leaf, and heat until just before boiling. Leave aside for ten minutes, and then strain the milk into a jug, and rinse the pan out

4. Melt the better in the pan, add in the flour and stir it in, cooking over a low heat for one minute.

5. Remove the butter and flour from the heat, and mix in the strained milk.

6. Heat the milk until simmering, whisking all the time. When simmering, keep on the heat for a further two minutes.

7. Add in the Cornflour with the rest of the milk. Keep stirring, until simmering again, before adding in the Cayenne pepper, Mustard power, Parmesan and 100g of the Cheddar Cheese.

8. Stir in the Broccoli and Pasta, before pouring into a large oven proof dish.

9. Mix the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle on the top, before laying the sliced tomato out on top, and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes.

PhPhoto Courtesy of: Steven De Polo

Macaroni Cheese