Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake

By CarolineNGa

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package small elbow macaroni
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup pre-chopped onion
• 1 cup pre-shredded carrot
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1 pound lean ground sirloin
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) 2% reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel), divided

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 45mins
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Lightly coat pasta with cooking spray.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add ground beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates.
Add pasta to beef mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Place milk, flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1 cup cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture; stir. Top evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Note:
For creamiest results, do not overbake.

Nutritional Information:

Weight Watchers = 7 Points+

Amount per serving
Calories: 283
Calories from fat: 24%
Fat: 7.7g
Saturated fat: 4.2g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.4g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g
Protein: 22.3g
Carbohydrate: 30.1g
Fiber: 2.1g
Cholesterol: 46mg
Iron: 3.1mg
Sodium: 622mg
Calcium: 209mg