Healthy Crab Cake Mac & Cheese
Try this Healthy Crab Cake Mac & Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Healthy Crab Cake Mac & Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 1/3 cup celery chopped
- 2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower (i used fresh for this but i imagine frozen would work here, too)
- 6 tbs low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tbs grass-fed butter
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper chopped
- salt & pepper for seasoning
- 1 - 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 8 oz refrigerated crabmeat (i used claw meat because it drained and picked through for shells
- 2 tbs parsley chopped
- 1 tsp low-sodium old bay seasoning
- 3 1/2 cups cooked whole wheat macaroni or medium shells (abou
- 2 cups cooked cauliflower chopped into bite-sized pieces (i used a frozen bag that i popped into the microwave)
- 1 1/3 shredded cheese (i used a combo of monterey jack and colby
- salt & pepper to season
- 1 cup cauliflower puree
- a couple of tbs low-sodium chicken broth if needed
- 1/3 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- Carbohydrate 70.0087688069625 g
- Cholesterol 194.880000164742 mg
- Fat 50.9991021262798 g
- Fiber 1.2424166453133 g
- Protein 46.8555937884273 g
- Saturated Fat 30.8783287760803 g
- Serving Size 1 1 large serving (798g)
- Sodium 772.345000558223 mg
- Sugar 68.7663521616492 g
- Trans Fat 2.68382104387648 g
- Calories 915 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8X8 baking dish with olive oil or coconut oil cooking spray, set aside.
- Steam your cauliflower until VERY soft. Like if you think it's steamed long enough, steam it a little longer. Put the cooked cauliflower and the broth into a blender and blend away until it's velvety-smooth. Remember, this may make more than 1 cup, but you only need 1 cup for this recipe! Measure out 1 cup and set aside. If you have extra, you can always add some more broth and some seasonings and have some cauliflower soup! That's what I do anyway.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium heat and melt your butter into it. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook veggies until softened. Add the garlic and let cook for another minute or two. Gently stir in your crab meat, parsley, Old Bay and lemon zest. Set aside.
- After you drain your pasta, return it to the pot that it just boiled in. Stir in the cauliflower puree, the chopped cauliflower, cheese and a pinch of salt. Stir until the cheese is melted (you may need to put your burner on low, it just depends on if your pasta is still hot or not).
- Gently stir in your crab mixture. If your mac is a little too thick, you can add in a couple of Tbs of low-sodium chicken broth. Check seasoning, if you'd like a little more Old Bay or pepper, add it now.
- Pour mixture into your prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle your whole wheat panko all over the top. Spray the top lightly with cooking spray.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and everything is hot. Divide the dish into four servings and serve!
Allowing crabmeat to retain excess moisture ruins the internal structure of baked pasta dishes by turning the cheese sauce watery during the oven phase. Pressing refrigerated claw meat thoroughly through a fine-mesh strainer eliminates pooling liquid before the aromatics hit the skillet. Whole wheat panko breadcrumbs require a light application of oil spray prior to baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the topping achieves an even golden crunch rather than scorching or burning in dry spots. Glass baking dishes measuring 8x8 inches conduct heat more evenly than thin metal pans, preventing the outer edges of the macaroni from drying out while the center reaches serving temperature. Cooling the assembled unbaked casserole completely on a wire rack before wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap allows safe transfer to the freezer for up to one month. Thawing frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator prevents abrupt temperature shifts that cause dairy emulsions to break apart and separate into oil slicks. Reheating individual portions in a 325 degree oven for twenty minutes restores the crispness of the breadcrumb crust better than a microwave, which tends to toughen delicate seafood proteins.
