Mac & Cheese Mugs

There's a quote from Thomas Edison when asked about his invention of the lightbulb... it goes something like this:

"I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb."

Well, my experiments in the kitchen were kind of similar. Except I did not fail 3 times. I just successfully discovered 3 ways how NOT to make Mac & Cheese in the microwave.

The first time through, I followed the recipe I found, but used Weight Watchers Mexican blend cheese and used 1/4 cup milk as suggested. Not only was water all over my microwave during cooking, but the consistency was way off, making it taste like pasta with cheese difficult to chew. I present to you Exhibit A off to the right (photos of the overflowing microwave not pictured)... FAIL. 

So then I mixed things up a bit for my dad's portion, still keeping with the mug concept. Water still went everywhere, but this time when it all spilled over, I just went with it. When the pasta was fully cooked, I added only a SPLASH of milk (think 1/8 cup) and stirred in the real deal of cheddar cheese, not re-microwaving it. I present to you Exhibit B off to the left... PASS on presentation, SEMI-FAIL on nutrition (see below... it was full of fat... and not the good kind).

Then it came time to make my mom's mug of mac and cheese. By this point, I was frustrated having to sop up so much water from the microwave, so I actually went ahead and grabbed a bowl and microwaved hers as normal. When the pasta was cooked (or when I thought it looked done), I poured the noodles into a mug to match the others. Again, I added a splash of milk, and this time used Parmesan cheese, not only in the hopes that it would not coagulate like my first attempt, but also to help lessen the amount of points within the dish. This one actually came out fairly well (I think... my mom was the real judge). I present to you Exhibit C off to the right... SEMI-FAIL on preparation by cooking it in a bowl and not a mug, but PASS on presentation and PASS on nutrition, so overall? WIN!

Yes, I know what you're thinking... why not just whip up some Easy Mac? It has EASY in its name, right? True, and for a lunch at work I might agree. But let's compare some nutritional values, shall we?

LOSER: Velveeta Mac & Cheese: 650 mg sodium, 31 carbs, 1 fiber, 10% calcium 

WINNER: My Parmesan Mac & Cheese Mug: 133 mg sodium, 22 carbs, 3 fiber, 13% calcium

CREDIT

And yes, I also know what you're thinking... if you made the third mug in a bowl, why didn't you keep it in it? Well, this is actually a bit of developmental psychology (yeah, you heard me)... while adults eventually outgrow their childhood concrete thinking, they will still always think the taller bowl has "more" (see right). No one wants to look at their large bowl of macaroni and cheese, frown, and think... "Well that's not fair, Joey has more than me!" That's just no fun. But pour that same amount of pasta into a tall mug and voila! Your perceived amount of pasta has magically increased! How's that for combining psychology and cooking for ya? So next time, use the smaller plate or bowl for the same portion size... you'll end up perceiving that you are eating more, but will end up eating less (read: the correct portion) in reality. Cool trick, huh?

"This is good stuff, kids!"

Alright, so hypothetical quotes from Thomas Edison and psychology concepts aside, this dish was pretty good. Even Piaget would agree.

MAC & CHEESE MUGS

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 4+ using Parmesan cheese, 6+ using Cheddar cheese

Note: Nutritional values with 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup Sharp Cheddar, respectively

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup (2 TBSP) milk
• Optional Cheeses: 
• 1/4 cup Shredded cheese
• 1/3 cup other cheese
• 1 TBSP Parmesan cheese (your choice)

Directions:

1. If you want the pasta to cook faster and don't mind cleaning up a bit of a spill, then add pasta and water to a large mug. Otherwise, just make things easier on yourself and cook it in a bowl and transfer the pasta for presentation later.
2. Cook pasta in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring the pasta occasionally. When much of the water has evaporated (or spilled over), and the pasta is cooked, remove from the heat. If using a bowl, transfer pasta into a small mug (we want your guests/family to think they are eating more than they are).
3. Remove any remaining water and add about 1-2 TBSP milk and stir. While warm, add cheese and stir. Only put back into the microwave if you feel it is necessary.
4. Enjoy your low-sodium, homemade, and deliciously cheesy treat!