quinoa mac and cheese

I found this recipe on my bariatric surgeon's blog, The Skinny.  Although I don't miss pasta, I do miss the occasional macaroni and cheese dinner.  After all, I'm a cheese lover.  And it doesn't get much better than gooey cheese and crispy, browned corners.

One thing I CAN have now, instead of pasta, is quinoa.  It's a grain and the texture is a little chewy.  I don't care for it on it's own, but it's good mixed with other things.  It's pretty versatile.  It can be expensive, though.

I made this yesterday and it came out really good.  It wasn't really gooey, but it had a good cheese flavor.
As usual, I made a couple modifications.  All that really means is that I skipped the optional veggies and used more cheese.  Oh, and added bacon.

Here's how I made mine.  If you want the original recipe, click here to get it:  Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Quinoa Mac & Cheese

This makes about 12 servings, give or take.  For someone who's had bariatric surgery, it might be more like 14 servings.  For someone who hasn't, it's probably about 8-10 servings.

Each serving contains:  225 calories, 12g fat, 16g carbs, and 16g protein.
Note:  This is based on 12 servings.

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
Veggies of your choice (optional)
Pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% milk (or skim)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1/2 cup real bacon bits or crumbled bacon, any kind

1. Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish.  Saute the garlic also.
2. Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes)
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
4. Coat 13×9 inch dish with cooking spray.
5. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl.
6. Fold in quinoa, optional veggies, garlic, bacon, salt, and cheese. Stir very well.
7. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake 30-35 mins, or until lightly browned.