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–+ servings

Skinny and Vegetarian, Mexican Mac and Cheese Casserole

Skinny and Vegetarian, Mexican Mac and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Mac and Cheese:

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) dry Barilla Whole Grain Elbows pasta or penne, see shopping tips
  • 1½ cups fat-free cottage cheese
  • 1½ cups grape, sugar plum or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1¼ cups salsa, I used Pace Medium Chunky Salsa or choose a hot salsa if you like it super spicy
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance Light, melted
  • 1 egg, I like using Egg-land’s Best eggs
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Topping:

  • 1 cup fat-free sour cream or nonfat Greek yogurt (plain)
  • ½ cup scallions, sliced
  • ½ cup shredded (2%) reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. You can use a glass or metal pan.
  • Cook pasta and only cook for 6 minutes so it will not be overcooked.  No need to add salt to the water!  Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.
  • In a large bowl, mix together cooked pasta, cottage cheese, tomatoes, salsa, beans, and butter.  Blend in egg, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and pepper, to taste. Be sure to mix well.
  • Transfer pasta mixture to the baking pan. Bake casserole 20 minutes.
  • In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together sour cream and scallions. Remove casserole from oven after 20 minutes and spread mixture over the top, using a rubber spatula. It’s a must to use a rubber spatula for spreading to prevent the casserole from lifting up. Next, sprinkle evenly with cheese. Place back in oven and bake about 6 minutes longer, until cheese is melted.
  • Remove from the oven. Let casserole rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 6 serving. This casserole freezes great!

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cupCalories: 329kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 21gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 795mgFiber: 10gSugar: 10gBlue Smart Points: 7Green Smart Points: 8Plus Points: 8