Whether you are looking to plan every aspect of your meals or are just looking to better understand portion sizes and the calories contained within them, the 100 Calorie Counting System was developed to truly adapt to you, your needs, and your goals. In this digital age, there are plenty of ways to track the calories you’ve already had. Now you have the perfect way to plan and portion those calories out before you eat them.
An example of a healthy 500 calorie dinner includes our Classic Meatloaf and Green Beans Almondine recipes as well as a comfort food favorite, Stovetop Mac & Cheese – try the recipe below.
Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese doesn’t just come out of a blue box; in fact, you can make it from scratch in nearly the exact same amount of time as the boxed stuff. Making an extra creamy cheese sauce from real Cheddar cheese can be difficult to do without the sauce separating, but this recipe uses both cornstarch and reduced-fat cream cheese to bind things together and keep things easy and foolproof.
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- Boil the macaroni according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse.
- In a stockpot over medium-high heat, whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth, until dissolved. Bring up to a simmer, and let cook for 2 minutes.
- Whisk the evaporated milk and salt into the thickened chicken broth, and bring back up to a simmer.
- Remove sauce from heat, and stir in cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese, until melted and creamy.
- Add the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce, and stir to combine before serving.
HELPFUL TIP: It is best to make the sauce as the macaroni is boiling, so that you can add hot macaroni into the sauce. If the finished dish has cooled too much, simply warm over medium-low heat and stir constantly, until hot throughout.
