Keto Mac and Cheese!
Hey ya’ll! I’m keeping this recipe short and sweet. Ya’ll already know that I make mac and cheese like my life depends on it! I’ve gotta so many sweet messages and IG tags of ya’ll making my original mac and cheese dish and that makes me so happy! Well, I needed to stop holding out…
Hey ya’ll! I’m keeping this recipe short and sweet. Ya’ll already know that I make mac and cheese like my life depends on it! I’ve gotta so many sweet messages and IG tags of ya’ll making my original mac and cheese dish and that makes me so happy! Well, I needed to stop holding out and bring ya’ll my summer mac and cheese recipe! This one has a bolder flavor, an even creamier texture and can stand up to any summer BBQ plate of smoked and grilled meats. No seriously! I switched up the cheese blend a little and a few of the ingredients, but it’s such a great balance, you won’t even mind! The other bonus about this one? IT’S KETO! I’m not kidding. This mac and cheese comes in under 10g Net carbs and uses noodles and not cauliflower. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I have my own cauliflower mac and cheese recipe that I absolutely LOVE! But I’m not going to lie like it’s the same. It’s not! Lol.
The bold flavor starts with changing out the bulk of the mild cheddar with smoked gouda. Gouda has a unique flavor already, that’s kind of nutty. When you add in the smoked flavor, you get an incredible layer of flavor that makes the dish feel as if it was made to be at a barbeque. It also get’s a bigger kick with the addition of hot sauce, mustard powder for dijon and going from sharp to EXTRA sharp cheddar cheese! The recipe is also creamier than the traditional recipe because I’ve replaced the gruyere and fontina with Muenster which is a softer cheese, but when it melts, is so incredibly creamy and gooey. It’s just what you want in a summer side. Anything too dry will give you no relief from grilled meats, and I don’t want that for you! The keto friendly recipe comes from two sources: 1. There’s no flour in this recipe. I know, no roux. I tried a bunch of different ways to do this, but ultimately decided I still wanted a cheese sauce. So we have a heavy cream and cream cheese mixture that melts down beautifully and serves as a great base for this dish. 2. I used a keto friendly, low carb pasta noodle that I found worked great in this recipe. The key is to undercook the noodle so that it doesn’t fall apart in the bake and you still get a nice bite throughout. It’s really a winner!
Ok, The recipe is right after this, but please take these tips so that you can end up with a great mac and cheese you can be proud of at somebody’s cookout!:
- Do not let the cream mixture boil. You don’t want it to become scorched at the bottom because your entire dish will tasted burned. That’s not a good look!
- Be sure to adjust the seasonings to your preference. If you find it too spicy (or not spice enough), adjust the hot sauce. If you want it to have a little more sharpness flavor, add a little more mustard. Go with your gut.
Alright ya’ll. Here is the new recipe, it’s delicious and easily doubled, tripled or divided to use for all of your meal needs! If you are taking this to a party, I suggest doubling! Also, remember we’re still supporting Black Lives Matter over here. If you haven’t read on the issues or don’t know where to start, please take a moment to read a few resources here!
Don’t forget to tag me in your photos online @lizeeangel or using #lizeeangel. And as always, comment below and please, like, share and follow me on youtube, instagram, twitter, facebook and pinterest!
Keto Summer Mac and Cheese
Ingredients:
- 8oz Low-Carb Macaroni Noodles
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 2 cups Heavy Cream
- 6 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tsp Hot Sauce
- 1 tsp Ground Mustard
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 oz Smoked Gouda, shredded
- 3 oz Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 oz Muenster Cheese, shredded
- 1 oz Mild Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 1 oz Mozzarella cheese
- *See Notes for non-keto adaptation
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425. Butter your baking dish and set aside.
- Add the gouda, cheddars and muenster cheeses to a bowl and toss to combine the cheeses. Set aside.
- In a large pot of generously salted water, cook noodles according to package direction, stopping 2 minutes short of the recommended time. Drain, rinse and set aside.
- In a sauce pan add the heavy cream and heat over medium-low until bubbles form on the side, but it does not boil.
- Next, whisk in the cream cheese until it is all the way melted and one mixture.
- Continue cooking the cream, stirring constantly to ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. The mixture should thicken to be able to coat the back of a spoon. (If you have trouble getting it thickened, you can mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with some cold, extra cream or milk and add that to the cream in the pot)
- Once the sauce thickens, add in all spices, and mix to get well combined. Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, ground mustard, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Add in 2/3 of your cheeses to the sauce and stir until it is all melted together. Taste and adjust for any seasonings, including salt. Once you are happy with the flavor, turn off the heat.
- Add in your noodles and stir to get them fully coated in the cheese sauce.
- Fill your baking dish 1/2 way with mac and cheese. Add 1/2 of the remaining cheese and mozzarella. Top with remaining mixture and remaining cheese!
- If baking immediately, place in the oven for 17-21 minutes. If making the next day, allow to cool and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in fridge.
- Bake 17-21 mins, or until bubbly and lightly browned on top. Rest for 15 mins, then serve. Enjoy!
notes:
Calories
422.24Fat (grams)
41.04Net carbs
9.14Protein (grams)
1.5
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