Cheesy Mac 'N' Cheese

In continuing with my recent string of healthy homestyle cooking recipes, I give you mac 'n' cheese. I found this recipe in Shape Magazine, just like I found the Shepherds Pie and Chicken Soup with Chive Dumplings.

Cheesy Mac 'N' Cheese (Serves 8 at 5 points a piece)

Ingredients:

12 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 12-oz can evaporated fat-free milk or 1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
4 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water, and transfer pasta to a large bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream, reserved pasta water, and diced tomatoes. Set aside.

Scald milk by heating in a medium saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles just appear around the edges. Add cheese, mustard, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.

Fold cheese mixture into pasta and transfer to a casserole dish (mixture will be thin but will chicken as it bakes).

Mix together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over pasta.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Mmmmm. That's all I can really say about this dish. I don't know if I'd exactly call it mac 'n' cheese; it seems to be more of a pasta bake to me. However, it was still very delicious. The husband liked this as well. The crunchy bread crumb topping was very good with the pasta, and the diced tomatoes were nice. It gave the dish another level of flavor that I wasn't expecting.