Healthier Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

Since I'm not going to the gym this morning, I may as well take the time and write up a few recipes I've been using lately. I like to use recipes that I know will have at least some leftovers, because then I don't have to worry about what my husband is going to take to work for lunch!

This recipe is one I developed when I realized I had an entire case of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese boxes from Amazon in the pantry from before I started Weight Watchers. I didn't want to get rid of the whole case, seeing as how money is pretty tight, but making the hyper-processed white flour noodle meal wasn't an option either. So I took the cheese packets, ditched the noodles, and went to town with healthy ingredients. The result is a dish that is high in sodium, but otherwise, I think, pretty doggone healthy for mac and cheese.and much more worthy of the name "dinner." I might serve a fruit side dish with this, but nothing else. I'm sure you could also use bulk powdered cheese, but you would have to experiment with quantity.

Healthier Macaroni and Cheese Dinner

Ingredients
2 Macaroni and Cheese Cheese Packets
1 box whole wheat rotini noodles
1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced onion
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup frozen chopped broccoli (corn or spinach also work)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt

Boil water in a large pot, a little more than you'd normally use for a box of noodles. When boiling, drop in noodles and cook five minutes, then add all vegetables and cook till noodles are soft.

While noodles are cooking, in a separate pan cook turkey with garlic and onion until completely cooked and chopped into small pieces.

Drain noodle and vegetable mix, return to pan. Add turkey mix to pan, stir. Add cheese powder and milk, stir until noodles are evenly coated. Add slightly more milk if necessary. Stir in yogurt till everything is creamy and evenly mixed.

Makes four big helpings, 12pts per serving.