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I could eat this every day! It’s sooo good. This mac and cheese is a guilt-free dream come true! The very cheesy sauce includes three low-fat kinds of cheese, shredded, cottage cheese, and Parmesan. Once combined with the cooked cheese tortellini, it becomes a cheese lover’s delight! Each generous serving has 213 calories, 7 grams of fat.
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz) package cheese tortellini, see shopping tips
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance Light
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or leave out if you don’t want it a little spicy
- â…“ cup + 1 tablespoon reduced-fat milk
- 1¼ cups low fat cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup light cheese such as Mozzarella, cheddar or a blend of cheeses, shredded
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup light shredded cheese such as Mozzarella, cheddar, or a blend of cheeses
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain. Set aside.
- To make the cheese sauce:Â In a large nonstick pan, melt butter. Using a whisk, mix in dry mustard powder and cayenne pepper. Whisk in milk, cottage cheese, and shredded cheese. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.
- Using a rubber spatula so the tortellini doesn’t tear, stir in cooked tortellini. Mix well. Add to the baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle all over top with ¼ cup shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheeses are melted.
- Cool slightly and cut into 6 servings.
Notes
Makes 6 main-course servings.
Shopping Tips
I used Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini. It’s fresh pasta and is found in the refrigerated section. Most supermarkets carry a few brands, such as Buitoni. WW Freestyle SmartPoints-6 Blue
WW SmartPoints-6 Green
WW POINTS PLUS 6
I used Trader Joe’s Cheese Tortellini. It’s fresh pasta and is found in the refrigerated section. Most supermarkets carry a few brands, such as Buitoni. WW Freestyle SmartPoints-6 Blue
WW SmartPoints-6 Green
WW POINTS PLUS 6
| SKINNY FACTS: for 1 serving 213 calories, 7g fat, 3g sat. fat, 24mg chol, 15g protein, 24g carbs, 1g fiber, 377mg sod, 3g sugar |
Skinny Facts
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 15gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 377mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gBlue Smart Points: 6Green Smart Points: 6Plus Points: 6
Sounds yummy. Where do you find “light” cheese? I’ve found one (cheddar) fat free cheese but have never seen a “light” cheese.
Dava, when my recipes say light cheese, it means reduced-fat cheese. Most supermarkets including Trader Joe’s sell reduced-fat cheeses.
All the best,
Nancy
What is the serving size? And how many does this dish serve?
Brenda, Once you cool this casserole slightly, you cut (score) into 6 servings. Each serving is 1 slice.
It’s one of my all-time favorite mac and cheese recipes. I hope you love it too!
My best,
Nancy
This is so good – I’ve made it twice, and both times declared that it feels so much like I’m cheating! Paired it with a mixed salad of arugula and lettuce with pears, toasted pecans and balsamic vinaigrette. Also, I couldn’t find tortellini this time at the store, so I used fresh cheese raviolis and it worked perfectly. Thanks, Nancy!
Thanks so much, Becky for taking the time to review this mac and cheese. I always appreciate it! I know what you mean, it tastes like you’re cheating and it’s actually quite low in calories. Every time I serve it, people think it’s so fattening! But we know better, right?
Take care and all the best,
Nancy