Lower Sodium Mac and Cheese with Roasted Tomatoes

Hi, friends!  It’s the big week! It’s the Superbowl of food holidays! Do you have your stretchy pants on?  This is not a drill.

By now, so so many of you have the latest issue of Joy the Baker Magazine and it is my great hope that you have the mac and cheese page earmarked for Thanksgiving dinner.  This is our family mac and cheese I’ve adapted from my dad. I add a hint of chili powder for smokiness and pepper jack cheese for a little kick of spice.  But here’s the thing – Thanksgiving is all about welcoming the whole fam-dam AND their dietary restrictions to the table.  In our family, when we’re all together, we watch our sodium intake. We want to watch our sodium without sacrificing any of the flavor in the dishes we bring to the table so we always have Dash Seasoning in the kitchen.

Today’s recipe offering is my family’s creamy mac and cheese made with less sodium and loads of flavor using Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning.  Friends – it’s SO GOOD: savory, full of flavor, bright and satisfying. Salt who? Let’s spice things up without adding salt!

Here’s what you’ll need for this low sodium mac and cheese recipe:

•  Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning as a flavorful substitute to salt.

•  unsalted butter and flour to create a light roux to thicken the cream sauce.

•  cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese. I like a mix of flavors.

•  elbow macaroni  or pasta shells.

•  panko breadcrumbs and sliced tomatoes to top.

AND! Here’s another Thanksgiving sides you can make with Dash Seasoning: Creamy Smoked Gouda Brussels Sprouts

We’ll start by making a very light roux. In a heavy bottom saucepan whisk together melted butter and flour.

Whisk until no pesky flour lumps remain and the flour has toasted to the most pale tan color – that will ensure that any dusty flour taste has cooked off.

Slowly stream in the milk, whisking constantly. The flour will instantly absorb the milk but just keep a steady stream and whisk and the mixture will smooth out to a velvety cream sauce.

Our cream sauce needs FLAVOR!

Add fresh cracked black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder and a few good teaspoon of Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning. We’re adding all of the flavor and none of the sodium to this creamy mac and cheese base.

Once the cream sauce has simmered a bit and thickened, add heaps of shredded cheese.

I like a mix of cheese. Sharp cheddar paired with pepper jack cheese is my absolute favorite though I always have a place in my heart for Gruyere.  You can’t go wrong!

Stir until the cheese is melted through.  Give the sauce a taste and season with more chili powder and Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning if you’d prefer.

Now it’s time for the macaroni!

I boil the pasta until just al dente – that’ means it still has a tiny bit of a crisp bite to it.  The pasta will continue to soften as it absorbs all the creamy flavor from the cheese sauce.

Set the mac and cheese aside and let’s toast the breadcrumbs.

Melt unsalted butter in a small skillet and add panko breadcrumbs, fresh cracked black pepper and Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning.

I like to transfer my mac and cheese to a cast iron skillet because it creates the most irresistible crispy edges when it comes out of the oven.

Top the mac and cheese with toasted breadcrumbs, sliced tomatoes, and a sprinkle more of Dash Garlic & Herb Seasoning.

Bake until the mac and cheese is bubbling around the edges and the tomatoes have soften and caramelized.  Scoop in generous servings at the Thanksgiving table.  Don’t expect there to be leftovers – this dish ranks high as a Thanksgiving side dish.

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