Low carb Mac & Cheese!
Yes, you heard that correctly!
MAC AND CHEESE BABY!
And just in time for your low carb Thanksgiving table!
The best part? There’s not a cauliflower floret in SIGHT!
Not that I have anything against good ol’ cauliflower (they’re not a Brussels Sprout after all), however, do a Google search and you’ll find that most low carb or ketogenic mac and cheese recipes use our old friend the cauliflower.
But not this recipe! Because this recipe uses something even better: Zeroodles!
I was recently introduced to these little 0g carb gems and all that I can say is WOW! Not only are they delicious and satisfying, but this brand really brings it with a great noodle-like texture and NO stomach-turning smell (I’ve read some horror stories about other brands!). I was really impressed with the quality of this product, and even more excited at the fact that these are made with oat fiber, which has no calories, no fat, and no effective carbs! 
Here’s the 101 on oat fiber:
From this website: Oat fiber is ONLY the insoluble fiber (lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose)- it’s made from grinding the non-digestible oat hull… It’s made from the hull or husk that the oat was harvested from. Nutrition wise, oat fiber is really more akin to sawdust than to oatmeal. It does contain some nutrients, but because it’s essentially non-digestible, it does not provide any nutrients or carbs for the body to burn. But that’s OK, because it’s not used for its nutritional properties. It’s used in low carb baked goods as a flour sub either on its own or in a blend of other lower carb flours. It’s very affordable and very absorbent-oat fiber is capable of absorbing a lot of liquid in a recipe and can be used to add moisture to baked goods. Since oat fiber doesn’t break down in the digestive track it also helps to prevent constipation by bulking up the stool.
Winner winner, mac & cheese dinner! And at only 3.2g total carbs per serving, you can feel good about adding this to your Thanksgiving spread!
Here’s the recipe.
- 1 14oz bag of Zeroodles Oat Fiber Penne
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2oz full fat cream cheese
- 8oz shredded colby or cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp. butter + extra for greasing the dish
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- Pre-heat oven to 375.
- Open the package of zeroodles and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
- In medium sized pot, bring the heavy cream to a rolling simmer.
- Lower the heat to medium low, and add the cream cheese, butter, and shredded cheese, stirring with a whisk until smooth.
- Add the seasonings and stir to combine.
- Add the dry zeroodles to the cheese sauce and fold to coat, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a small (8in x 8in casserole pan would work well, or a round soufflé dish) buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with extra shredded cheese, cover with foil, and then bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil on high for the last 2-3 minutes to achieve a crispy, cheesy crust! (Just keep an eye out on the mac & cheese while broiling- it can go from zero to burnt in a matter of seconds!).
- Let it cool for 8-10 minutes, then enjoy!