Stovetop Sausage Mac and Cheese

It seems everyone loves mac and cheese. This quick and easy pasta toss combines three types of cheese, plus sausage, for creamy yet hearty texture and flavor. For a more colorful version, stir in spinach.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  chicken and sun-dried tomato sausage (such as Gerhard's), chopped
• 1 1/4  cups  fat-free milk
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/3  cup  (about 1 1/3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/4  cup  (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1/2  teaspoon  onion powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  garlic salt
• 5  cups  hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in cheeses, onion powder, and garlic salt; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly. Stir in pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

433 (29% from fat)

Fat:

13.9g (sat 7.8g,mono 3.8g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

23.6g

Carbohydrate:

53.1g

Fiber:

2.7g

Cholesterol:

56mg

Iron:

2.4mg

Sodium:

538mg

Calcium:

340mg