Creamy macaroni and cheese casserole, need I say more. Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese hits the sweet spot between comfort food and healthier cheesy pasta. Best of all, it comes together quickly and easily.

When you’re thinking of a dish that’s full of comfort food, what’s better than macaroni and cheese. There’s comfort food and then there’s cheesy, carby comfort food. With a lightly crispy, cheesy crust and a creamy, cheesy middle, macaroni noodles have met their match.

This isn’t just any macaroni and noodle casserole. Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese has all of the flavour and tastiness of traditional macaroni and cheese dishes, but with fewer calories and fat.

There’s nothing bland or diet-tasting about this macaroni dish. Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese is so rich and creamy, everyone will be asking for seconds. I know my family always does!

Should You Bake Macaroni and Cheese Covered or Uncovered?

This is a question that gets asked a lot. And the answer is BOTH!

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese takes 30 minutes to bake. For the first 20 minutes, you will want to bake it covered with tin foil. This helps keep the pasta dish creamy and stops it from drying out while cooking.

Then, for the last 10 minutes of baking, you uncover the casserole. When it’s uncovered, the cheddar cheese topping melts, giving it a perfectly cheesy crust. Yum!

Double the Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese is a lower fat macaroni and cheese, that is still rich and oh so creamy. And it’s made with two delicious cheeses.

Of course, it’s made with the tradition cheese, cheddar cheese. Plus, it’s made with cottage cheese. This makes every bite of this dish deliciously cheesy.

When cottage cheese and cheddar cheese melt together, they create a really cheesy sauce. To give it a little extra creaminess, egg and low fat sour cream is added in, giving the sauce a richer, creamier flavour. Rich, creamy, and low fat – Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese is more than nostalgically delicious. It’s seriously tasty.

And when you add Dijon mustard, it makes the cheese taste even cheesier. There is something about the combination of mustard and cheese that is just magic. With just a small amount (no more than a tablespoon in this casserole) the macaroni and cheese just tastes even more dreamy cheesy.

If you’ve never tried Dijon mustard in macaroni and cheese, this is a must try. Trust me!! And your tastebuds will thank you.

How to Make Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This tasty meal is as easy as it is delicious. And it’s made in only 5 simple steps. How perfect is that!

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 350°F (180°C)

This is the perfect temperature for making a macaroni and cheese casserole. It cooks evenly, keeps the casserole deliciously creamy and cheesy, and it bakes in 30 minutes. Who doesn’t love a quick 30 minute meal?

Step 2: Cook Noodles and Prepare Casserole Dish

Follow the directions on the package for your noodles. Cook the noodles until they are al dente. This means that the noodles are cooked, but they still have bit of a bite and are still a little firm.

You want noodles that are still on the firmer side because they will cook more are the casserole bakes. And you don’t want overcooked noodles in a casserole. Then you’ll end up with a mushy mac and cheese.

When the noodles are cooked, run cold water over the noodles as they drain in the colander and set aside. This way the noodles will stop cooking as you prepare the sauce for this dish.

Before it’s time to make the simple, no pre-cook sauce, add a little non stick spray to the casserole dish. You want your macaroni and cheese to be easy to come out, so you can enjoy all of it without it getting stuck in the dish.

Step 3: Make the Sauce

In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese (the rest of the cheese will be for the cheese crust), sour cream, Dijon mustard, egg, salt, parsley, and pepper.

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese may be lower fat, but it sure pops with flavour. The combination Dijon mustard, and parsley enhance the cheesy flavour, giving the noodles a creamy, dreamy sauce. With all it’s flavour, you won’t believe that this dish is actually low fat.

Step 4: Add the Noodles, Sauce & Top with Cheese

Now it’s time to put the casserole together. It all starts with adding the noodles to the casserole dish. Top it with the sauce and gently mix. Make sure that the sauce evenly covers the noodles. You don’t want to end up with any noodles with the cheese sauce. Sometimes this happens in the corners. So, pay extra special attention to the corners of the casserole dish.

When the noodles are evenly covered, top the casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. This is the final step to make your meal cheesy and delicious.

Step 5: Bake and Enjoy!

To help keep the casserole perfectly creamy, cover it with tin foil for the first 20 minutes while baking. During the last 10 minutes, remove the foil to give the top a lightly crunchy, cheesy crust. When it’s all done, Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese will be perfectly crispy on top and creamy in the middle.

Now, all that’s left is eating!! Grab some plates, forks, and your favorite people to share this crave-worthy meal.

Looking for the perfect dish to serve with Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese?

• Healthy Blackened Salmon
• Tomato Baked Chicken
• Avocado Caesar Salad
• Apple Beer Bread
• The Best Two Bite Brownies

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Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Want some creamy, cheesy comfort food casserole? This dish is calling your name. Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese may be lower fat, but no one will taste the difference. My family never does!

• Author: Jessica
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 8 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American/Canadian

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1 1/2 cups, shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup low fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Prepare baking dish with a quick spray of cooking oil. Cook pasta al dente, according to package instructions.
3. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, sour cream, Dijon mustard, egg, salt, parsley, and pepper.
4. Add drained pasta to the baking dish. Gently stir and add to baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and cover with tin foil.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for 10 minutes.

Notes

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe was first published in 2019. It has been updated to make it quicker and easier to make. And just as delicious as ever!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 238.5kcal
• Sugar: 1.55g
• Sodium: 429.17mg
• Fat: 11.81g
• Saturated Fat: 6.53g
• Unsaturated Fat: 3.26g
• Trans Fat: 0.2g
• Carbohydrates: 18.96g
• Fiber: 0.72g
• Protein: 13.62g
• Cholesterol: 50.97mg

Keywords: quick and easy baked macaroni and cheese, kid friendly macaroni and cheese, make ahead macaroni and cheese