Recipe: Crunchy Mac & Cheese

Crunchy Crust Mac and Cheese, yes please! I chose to use rotini in place of macaroni simply because the cheesy sauce wraps around each rotini and the spiral hangs onto it.This dish is also delicious as leftovers. Pack it for lunch 😊

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients 

• 1 box (375g) whole grain Rotini
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 6 tbsp Panko bread crumbs
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 4 cups skim milk
• 1 cup shredded, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 10-inch x 10-inch baking dish with grape seed oil or any high heat oil spray.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the rotini according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside. Combine the bread crumbs and 2 teaspoons oil in a small bowl. Stir with a fork to evenly coat the crumbs with oil.
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of oil to a large saucepan. Set over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, paprika, salt and pepper until smooth. Add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cheese until it melts. Stir in the rotini. Pour into the baking dish. Top evenly with the bread crumb mixture.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbling and golden. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.