Creamy cauliflower mac and cheese, stretched
This frozen bowl arrives rich and filling, but built on cauliflower and eggs rather than pure pasta. Heat it with a side of greens and a splash of acid to turn a frozen dinner into something your tired self will actually want to eat.
About 240 calories a serving, 7 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.
To buy
- 1 lemon
- 2 handfuls spinach or bitter greens
From your shelf
- 1 package (serves 2) creamy mac and cheese cauli bowls, cheese (Lean Cuisine)
Staples
- 1 tablespoon butter
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it foams, add two handfuls of spinach or other bitter greens and cook until wilted, about two minutes, stirring often. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then push to the side of the pan.
- Heat the frozen mac and cheese according to package directions in the microwave or by opening the tray, stirring, and heating in a 400°F [200°C] oven for about eight minutes. While it heats, juice half a lemon into a small bowl.
- Tip the hot mac and cheese into the pan with the greens and fold gently to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and drizzle each with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Note To stretch it further, divide the package into three portions and add more greens and rice or couscous to each. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days, best reheated gently in a pan with a splash of water. Serve with crusty bread or a simple salad on the side.
On the label
CAULIFLOWER PASTA (WATER, TAPIOCA STARCH, CAULIFLOWER, KONJAC FLOUR, ARROWROOT STARCH, EGGS, XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN), SKIM MILK, WATER, CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO COLOR), REDUCED FAT VERMONT CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED LOW FAT MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), 2% OR LESS OF MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CHEDDAR CLUB CHEESE (CHEDDAR CHEESE [CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES], WATER, SALT, ANNATTO COLOR), SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, ONION POWDER, SPICE
Lean Cuisine, frozen dinners & entrees, serving 283 GRM, package 10 oz. Ingredients as printed on the label.
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Cooks as mac and cheese. Half of it left? Use up the mac and cheese.