Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Confession: I love macaroni and cheese.

I love it out of the blue box. I love it homemade. I've tried a few recipes but none that I love nearly as much as this one! And, it's "light!" You might find that hard to believe when you read over the ingredients. Maybe it's more appropriate to say, "it's lighter."

From experience, I offer this simple suggestion: it's really helpful to pre-measure all your ingredients and have everything ready to go when making this delicious dish.

What you need:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup (8 oz.) fat-free sour cream
1/2 lb. reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat; stir in the sour cream, process cheese, Parmesan, mustard and pepper until smooth.

Drain macaroni; stir in cheddar cheese. Transfer to a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add cream sauce and mix well. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Recipe from the Feb./March 2009 isssue of Healthy Cooking.