Mac & Cheese Done Right

Why do tastes change? Why do we not like something for so long then all of a sudden be like "Oh my gosh, I have to have that now, like right now"? I find it strange and bewildering sometimes!! I've never like macaroni and cheese other than in college when I lived off the stuff because it was only 25 cents per box and fed me for two days! Since then, I've never been a fan so not sure why, all of a sudden when I can't have pasta I'm "craving" macaroni and cheese! Well crave no more, not only did this satisfy every bit of craving, it's a new favorite!


Cauli & Cheese 
(Serves 4-6)

1.5 lb Cauliflower (1 lrg head)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

1) Remove core from cauliflower and cut florets into small bight sized pieces. Keep them about the size of macaroni, maybe a little bigger. Only keep a minimal amount of stem on the floret as they don't soften at the same rate as the florets.

2) Fill a large pot of water about 1/2 full of water and add salt. Bring to a boil and add cauliflower to the pot. Boil evenly for 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Pour into a strainer then back into the pot to keep warm.

3) In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth and blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese a small portion at a time until melted, then add another small amount. Continue adding cheese and stirring until all cheese is melted and sauce is smooth and creamy.

4) Pour sauce over cauliflower and gently stir to coat cauliflower evenly. Pour cauliflower into 10x10 casserole dish and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese over the top.

5) Bake in 375F oven for 15 minutes until top cheese is nice and golden and casserole is bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Calories: 403
Fat: 34g
Carb: 10g  Net Carb: 7g
Protein: 18g


I can't wait to experiment with this and see what delights I can come up with! Some lobster will definitely be added for a full entree, and of course some Spam needs to get in there, and oh, perhaps a pork rind sprinkling on top for some texture! I'll come back with some updates soon!

Reconstructing Favorites

There are some recipes that I just can't seem to reconstruct enough to make them compatible with Weight Watchers, no matter how hard I try. And trust me, for some of my favorites I try really super hard! This time, I succeeded in a completely different direction and have found a new holiday meal must-have.

I think of sweet potatoes (yams), I think of marshmallows, brown sugar, butter and sweetness. After all, they are sweet potatoes right? Well, not anymore!! No, they're still sweet, it's just the other sweet stuff I'm not going to be thinking of anymore! Now I'll think of feta and fennel and coriander and savory sweetness!

Here's why...

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
6 small orange fleshed sweet potatoes
6 oz crumbled feta, fat free
1/8 tsp ground fennel seed
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes and cut off the sharp pointed ends. Prick all over with a fork and put them in a small roasting pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. While the potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to marinate until the potatoes are done. When fully baked, remove the potatoes from the oven and cut a "lid" off the top side (not end) of each potato. You want to create the largest "boat" you can but have a wide enough opening to scoop the filling into. When cool enough to handle, carefully scoop the insides of the potatoes out into a small bowl. Mix in about half the feta mixture and let sit for a minute while you turn the skins upside down and spray with cooking spray. This will give them a nice shine when baked. Now fill each "boat" with the feta and potato mixture. Divide the remaining feta between each filled potato and pile high! Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, just until the cheese has started to melt.And now, we have a sweet potato dish that we can all enjoy!

Although mom didn't care for it , the girls, who don't normally eat the sweet potatoes, loved it! At only 4 points-plus per potato, you can't go wrong!

Don't worry mom, you'll still get your traditional sweet potatoes during the holidays, it will just be a much smaller dish since the rest of us will be eating these!!