Name: Reduced-Fat Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 pound elbow macaroni; Salt and pepper; 3 (12-ounce) cans 2 percent low-fat evaporated milk; 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; Pinch cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 12 ounces 50 percent light cheddar cheese , shredded (3 cups); 1 cup panko bread crumbs , toasted; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted

Why This Recipe Works

When it comes to comfort foods, mac and cheese sits squarely at the top of the list. There's nothing quite like tender, bite-size pasta coated in a warm, gooey, cheesy sauce and baked with a crunchy topping of buttery bread crumbs. But with over 700 calories and a whopping 40 grams of fat per serving, the standard homemade mac and cheese is less than comforting to our waistlines. Could we keep all the cheesy flavor and creamy texture but lose a significant amount of fat and calories? It all came down to the right selection of milk and cheese. After a number of tests, we hit on low-fat evaporated milk, which gave us a richer, more velvety texture than skim, 1 percent, or 2 percent low-fat milk. Thickening the sauce with cornstarch, instead of the usual roux (a combination of butter and flour), also helped to keep our numbers in check. For the key ingredient, the cheese, we tried different varieties, ultimately landing on a good amount of shredded reduced-fat cheddar, which melted into a smooth coating for our pasta and allowed us to pack in big cheese flavor without a ton of fat. Panko bread crumbs, tossed with just a pat of butter, gave our mac and cheese a golden, crispy crown.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain macaroni; set aside.

Combine evaporated milk, mustard, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne in now-empty pot and bring to simmer. Combine 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and cornstarch, then whisk into pot. Continue to simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in cheddar, a handful at a time, until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni and add remaining 1/4 cup pasta water as needed to adjust consistency; sauce should be slightly soupy.

Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Toss toasted panko with melted butter in bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle over top. Bake until sauce is bubbling around edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.