mac & cheese soup.

we didn't follow through with our meal plan for last week. i got home from work late each night and something always came up that prevented us from going to the grocery store. yesterday we decided to take our original grocery list and put our meal planning into action.

monday night i fixed the mac and cheese soup. it wasn't what i expected, but still oh-so-yummy. the pic below is mine, but the recipe is courtesy of food network magazine, page 71 of the january/february 2011 edition.

the recipe says it takes a total of 35 minutes to prepare and cook the soup ... and that really wasn't too far off. i think it would have been right on, but i don't have a food processor so i had to mince my shallot, carrot and celery the old fashioned way, with a knife and cutting board.

we really enjoyed the recipe and even had leftovers for travis's lunch today and my dinner this evening. and there is still another bowl's worth left. the soup wasn't quite was i expected, but i still really enjoyed it and will definitely make it again.

mac & cheese soup

* kosher salt * 4 ounces elbow macaroni (1 cup) - i used the large elbow macaroni and would consider making it with just a smidge more pasta ... though it would probably defeat the purpose of it being a light dinner option. * cooking spray * 2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2-in thick * 4 1/2-in-thick slices baguette * freshly ground pepper * 3 shallots * 1 carrot, cut into 1-in pieces * 1/4 cup all-purpose flour * 3 3/4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth * 1 1/4 cups 2% milk * 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups) * 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. position rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. add the macaroni and cook as the label directs; drain
2. mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the tomato and baguette slices on it in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. bake until the bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes
3. mince the shallots, carrot and celery in a food processor. mist a saucepan with cooking spray. add the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring 2 minutes. gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. remove from the heat.
4. add the milk, cheeses, and macaroni and stir until the cheeses melt. season with pepper. top the toasts with tomatoes; serve on the soup.

my baguette, though fresh, had gone a little stale on me, so i sprinkled evoo on the baguette slices and tomato while on the cooking sheet and then sprinked a little garlic salt to all of it as well and popped it in the oven.

everything turned out really well and i'm happy that a new recipe was delicious and not weird. and light!

{per serving: 476 calories 20g fat, saturated 12g 84mg cholesterol 636mg sodium 46 g carbs 2 g fiber 27 g protein}

bon appetit!