No chew recipe: reduced fat macaroni and cheese (Gluten-free)

3 cups brown rice pasta, overcooked
1 1/4 cup reduced fat (2% or less) shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 egg white
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Nonstick cooking spray

Overcook the pasta until it's very soft and drain well. Let it cool. You can put it in a food processor or blender to chop it into fine pieces or you can use your hands to break the pasta into small pieces. I used my hands because I wanted one less item to clean-important if one is not feeling well.


After the pasta is finely chopped or shredded, add 3/4 cup of cheese and all the other ingredients. Mix well (You can add more cheese if you like, but I used this portion in an effort to control the fat content of the recipe.) 

Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. I didn't want to heat the oven too long (it's so hot!) so I divided my mixture into two smaller baking dishes (holding two cups each), requiring less cooking time.

If you've divided your items as I did, cook them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, pull them out of the oven and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.

If you've put your mac and cheese mixture into one casserole dish, you'll need to let it cook 25 to 28 minutes before you top with the cheese.

In less than five minutes (when the cheese melts), your mac and cheese is ready to be taken from the oven. Let it cool for five minutes before serving. Four portions.

I'm eating mine today with tomato wedges because it's a "good chew" day. Although I no longer have pain from trigeminal neuralgia, I still have a temperamental jaw that sometimes does not allow me to chew.


You may notice that I often use ingredients like ground flax seed and nonfat plain Greek yogurt. They're easy to keep on hand and simplify shopping. I like to use brown rice pasta because it is gluten-free, and it has more fiber and texture than white enriched pasta. It's a little more expensive, too. You can also substitute your favorite pasta.

To learn why I prefer Greek yogurt, see a comparison here http://kathytaylortrigeminalneuralgia.blogspot.com/2010/07/yogurt-whats-difference.html  . According to the Mayo clinic, ground flax seed is also an excellent way to get fiber and mega-3 fatty acids. Flax seed improves digestion. Flax seed is sometimes used to help reduce total blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol levels and, as a result, it may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

You can find other no-chew recipes on my blog by using the Google search tool at the top of this page. I am hoping you will feel better soon. Take good care and may God bless you.

Have you visited my website? www.withgreatmercy.com