EL POLLO LOCO: MACARONI AND CHEESE

SAVE: 168 CALORIES, 22 G FAT, 14 G SAT. FAT

This recipe is, surprisingly even to me, by far one of my favorite recipes in the book . . . and I’m not even the hugest fan of macaroni and cheese. I made it using Cabot’s 75% light Cheddar and couldn’t believe what an amazing buttery taste it had even though it had no butter in it. I was instantly hooked. When I remade it for friends to sample, the comments were consistent: “I can’t believe that’s low-fat. It tastes so buttery and so cheesy.”

One thing to point out, though—make sure the pasta is cooked until soft (the way pasta was served perhaps in your elementary school cafeteria) if you really want your finished dish to resemble the restaurant original. I, however, prefer pasta a little less done.

¼ cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 teaspoon unbleached or all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided

1¾ ounces (about ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) finely shredded low-fat yellow Cheddar cheese

1⁄8 teaspoon salt

COOK the macaroni according to the package directions for about 7 minutes. It should be soft. Drain the macaroni. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small nonstick saucepan, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon milk. With a Teflon whisk, whisk until smooth. Tip the pan slightly, if needed, to pool the mixture. Slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons milk, whisking constantly, until no lumps remain.

Place over medium heat. Add the cheese and salt. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese melts and the mixture starts to thicken. It may appear lumpy at first. Add the reserved macaroni. Stir to blend well.

MAKES 1 SERVING

213 calories, 18 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 2 g sat. fat, 1 g fiber

Original El Pollo Loco Macaroni and Cheese: 381 calories, 11 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 26 g fat, 16 g sat. fat, 2 g fiber

BEFORE YOU START If you want the macaroni and cheese to look exactly like El Pollo Loco’s, you’ll need to use yellow Cheddar. But white Cheddar also works fine and tastes just as great.