One-pot loaded mac and cheese
High fiber, low carb, and great for holiday leftovers!
Happy December!
If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope it was a great one! The days right after are always my favorite, and this year is no different. We’ve enjoyed holiday movies and LEGO-building, we took a day trip and saw wild horses, we celebrated my birthday, and we used up every bit of our holiday leftovers (hooray for a break from cooking and cleaning!).
This week’s recipe is a good one to keep on hand this time of year because it comes together so fast and works well for almost any holiday ham/turkey/chicken leftovers.
I adapted my low-carb mac and cheese recipe into a “loaded” version, which includes broccoli, chives, a pre-cooked protein, and a lightened-up sauce made with a little less cheese/cream thanks to Greek yogurt standing in.
It also comes together quickly, right on the stovetop (we’re skipping the oven bake), and it’s a natural crowdpleaser (as mac and cheese tends to be), a comfort food staple that will sway even the littlest, most skeptical eater, even with broccoli involved.
It’s the first Thursday of the month so this recipe is free to all! If you enjoy this low-carb, low-glycemic, real-food recipe, you might benefit from a paid subscription and I am extending my 25% discount through the weekend (it’s good for annual subscriptions, gift subscriptions, all of it!). You’ll get immediate access to the entire Recipe Index, my Holiday Pies e-book , and every single meal plan. Thank you so much for your support!
This month, I still plan on sending out four dinner recipes, a dessert recipe, and a week-long meal plan that will perfectly coincide with the new year. If you’re a paid subscriber and have any requests or suggestions, send them my way!
(I don’t mention this enough, but if you would like to upgrade and simply cannot afford it right now, please email me or message me for a comp subscription, no questions asked. ♥️ )
Between fun, festive treats and actually getting dinner on the table, December always feels extra challenging. Here are some low-carb, keto-friendly, and low-glycemic recipes that I hope will help you enjoy the best of the season without the blood sugar spike.
This indulgent, creamy mac and cheese recipe is not a cauliflower copycat! It’s made with lupin pasta, a low-carb and high-protein option. You can swap it for your own favorite protein pasta of choice but I prefer lupin since it’s incredibly blood sugar friendly and works for low-carb, gluten-free, and keto eaters.
One serving of this mac and cheese will give you approximately 29 grams of protein and 13 grams of fiber with just 9 net carbs! Enjoy the recipe below (with the printable PDF at the very bottom).
Yield: 6 servings
Prep time: ~20 minutes
8 ounces lupini pasta (like Kaizen pasta, any shape)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup small-chop broccoli florets (optional)
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
¾ cup whipping cream
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1-¼ cups grated white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated mild cheddar or smoked gouda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 to 1-½ cups chopped ham, shredded chicken or shredded turkey
2 tablespoons finely-chopped chives or green onion
In a large pot or deep skillet, bring salted water to a boil. Add the lupin pasta, then cook for 4 minutes or until al dente. (Some foaming is normal, and the water will want to bubble up over the pasta so watch it closely). Drain and set aside.
Return the same pot to the stovetop set over medium heat. Add the butter. Once it melts, add in the chopped broccoli and shallot. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the minced garlic and arrowroot powder and cook for another minute.
Whisk in the cream, Greek yogurt, and almond milk and heat for 2 minutes. Stir in the grated cheese and cook until the cheese melts, about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, dried thyme, black pepper, and nutmeg, then stir in the ham (or pre-cooked turkey/chicken).
Heat for another minute. Serve portions with the chopped chives or green onion sprinkled on top.
Lupin pasta is low-carb, high-protein and high-fiber which makes it a wonderful choice for blood sugar balance. You can substitute this for another protein pasta of choice, if desired. Simply cook the pasta according to the package directions.
If your sauce appears too thin, wait a couple of minutes after removing the mac and cheese from the heat. Lupin pasta will soak up moisture a tad more as it sits in the sauce. The arrowroot powder will also help thicken the sauce slightly. If it’s still too thin, you can add a ¼ cup more grated cheese.
Lupin pasta: Another high-protein pasta (or low-carb pasta) of choice.
Shallot: Use 1 small yellow or white onion.
Broccoli: Omit or replace with small-chopped asparagus or cauliflower.
Arrowroot: You can omit entirely– its purpose is to help thicken the sauce a tad but it’s not required.
Greek yogurt: Can swap for sour cream or plain unsweetened yogurt.
As always, I appreciate your feedback! Comments on recipes— whether they’re in the subscriber chat or dropped into notes or sent via email— make my day. ☺️ Thank you for being here!
Have a wonderful rest of your week.
I love this recipe so much. Comfort food without the guilt! 😊