Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite comfort foods. Almost any recipe can be made-over with a few tweaks.  With the addition of some broccoli and the use of low-fat laughing cow cheese wedges, this recipe will satisfy your comfort food craving while keeping each serving at about 300 calories.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats–a great blog with tons of healthy recipes!

• 8 oz. large macaroni shells
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional if you’re going vegetarian–consider adding some extra veggies!)
• 6oz Laughing Cow Lite Cheese Wedges (Garlic & Herb or your flavor of choice)
• 3/4 – 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper (optional)

Cook macaroni noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water. Add broccoli to the pot 3 minutes before noodles are done cooking, then drain well and set aside.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with some non-stick cooking spray, then add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Remove the chicken and set aside. In the same skillet, add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper, then stir until cheese is melted, and sauce is thick. Add cooked chicken, noodles, and broccoli to the skillet then stir well to combine. Serves 4.

Feel free to boost the nutritional value of this meal even more by adding more of your favorite vegetables–consider adding some tomatoes, shredded carrots, cauliflower, or even asparagus.