Corn Chowder Mac N Cheese

I found this recipe through a #SundaySupper I hosted back in December. Do you remember? Celebrity Chef week? I saw this recipe and knew it had to be one I tried while pregnant because it’s not the healthiest dish however Sue from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz does a pretty good job “healthifying it!!” I made this for friends of mine that came over for dinner a few weeks ago and it was a big hit. I had seconds and my girlfriend even figured out her dish was worth 8 points via Weight Watchers. We served it with a nice big salad and it was a great meal!

Serves: 8-10
Recipe Adapted From: Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Ingredients

• 1 lb Whole grain Penne Rigate
• 1 Large can of corn
• 1 tsp Olive oil
• 6 slices of Canadian Bacon
• 1 baking potato
• 2 stalks celery (chopped)
• 1 jalapeno (chopped)
• 1 bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups low fat milk
• 1/2 -1 tsp cayenne
• 1 cup low fat parmigan – reggiana cheese (grated)
• 1 cup Low fat sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Boil penne pasta, add salt and cook al dente and drain.

Add corn , potato, onion, diced pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Canadian bacon and saute for 8-10 minutes till soft.

In a separate pan, melt butter, whisk in flour , then the milk. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook till mixture coats the spoon. Add grated parmigiano cheese.

Add the corn potato mixture to the pasta. Add the white sauce mixture to the pasta,. Transfer to casserole.

Top with cheddar cheese and broil 3- 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Note

I made this dish earlier in the day before my friends came over and kept it in the casserole dish on top of my stove. When it was time to eat I added the cheese on top and baked it at 350 for 20 min. I mixed it a bit, added a little more cheese and then broiled it for 5 min to crisp it up. Perfect!