Easy Creamy Mac and Cheese

Who doesn’t love a good creamy Mac and Cheese? It is a popular meal around our house, usually the kids and hubby have seconds . In order to satisfy everyone I made this Creamy Mac and Cheese that is point friendly and calorie friendly while keeping it tasty enough for the kids to say “This is so good mom! Can I have more?” Everyone is happy!

Ingredients

• 12 oz dry elbow pasta (can use whole wheat as well)
• 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 oz Neufchatel cheese
• 1 1/2 cup low fat milk, divided
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• salt
• pepper
• 1/3 cup pasta water

Directions

1. Boil pasta and drain, set aside
2. In the same pasta pot bring back to heat on medium low
3. Add butter, once melted whisk in flour and cook for about a minute
4. Whisk in 1 cup milk and pasta water, whisking fast so no lumps form
5. Add Neufchatel cheese and cheddar cheese, whisk until all is melted and smooth
6. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper
7. Add pasta, turn off heat and combine cheese mixture with pasta
8. Top with cheddar if desired, taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Serve right away.
9. If you’re not serving right away, reserve 1/2 cup milk that is warm and mix it in the Mac and Cheese when ready to serve.

yield: 12 servings (1/2 cup per serving)

Nutrition Info per serving (using myfitnesspal recipe builder)

Calories:167, total fat: 5.2 g, total carbs: 23.7 g, protein: 7.2 g

myWW smartpoints per serving (1/2 cup) (using weightwatchers recipe builder)

Green:6 smartpoints, blue: 6 smartpoints

purple: 6 smartpoints (3 smartpoints if using whole wheat or whole grain pasta)