Dinner in less than 20 minutes! Creamy, gooey skillet mac and cheese turned up a notch with tasty goat cheese. Softer on the belly (gluten free) and bold comfort food all around!
Once a week I strive to make something different and new for dinner. Dinners have to be kiddo approved and hubby approved to even make it onto this blog. I usually try out a new recipe every Thursday night when Uncle Johnny is over for dinner. It helps to have lots of boys around to decide since they are so much pickier than I am. Pretty convinced I will eat anything beneficial to my health despite what it is. If it is good for me and can heal me then please bring this powerful food to my plate!
This past week the "new" dinner of choice was a skillet macaroni and cheese recipe made with brown rice pasta, goat cheese and coconut creamer. I was going to throw in a bag of cooked frozen shrimp and roasted broccoli but my little's wanted their shrimp separate. My children are serious seafood fanatics almost just as much as they are crazy for pasta! Brown rice pasta too because I think they have never even tried another kind of noodle yet.
And really, mac and cheese? Who doesn't like mac and cheese!?! Growing up in the south (Virginia) fried or creamy are staple items to be served at the table along with sweet iced tea. Only the kind if mac n cheese I grew up with was drowning in butter and tossed with mass amounts of melted processed cheese. Never will you find me buying packaged macaroni and cheese and luckily my kids do not like it. Homemade is so much creamier and flavorful and you can control the amounts of salt, sugar and fat.
We just started soccer season with Chase with practices held on Thursday evenings. This past Thursday we rushed off to 5:30pm practice and got home about 6:45pm so late to start thinking about dinner. Luckily I made this skillet mac and cheese dish ahead of time and all that was needed was to add a bit more cream to the dish when I reheated it on the stove. I roasted broccoli ahead of time and quickly called my hubby on the way home from practice to heat the shrimp.When we got home from soccer practice dinner was literally ready in less than 10 minutes!
Simply I put the prepared skillet mac and cheese back in a skillet to reheat and separately heated the roasted broccoli and thawed shrimp in a bit of garlic and olive oil. If you don't make this ahead of time it still takes no brainpower to make. I do suggest making it fresh rather than reheated but do what works for your schedule because it is still creamy and super yummy! Just make the creamy goat cheese macaroni and cheese sauce while the noodles are cooking to save time. When the noodles are done just mix in the sauce and serve with your favorite veggies. Seriously, dinner ready in less than 20 minutes is Awesome!
We devoured our homemade mac and cheese with shrimp, broccoli and a side of fresh salad within no time!
I have been trying to keep my family away from processed cheese such as American cheese, sharp cheddar, Velveeta, Kraft cheese and of course any cheese sold in a can. They are not real cheese and are chemically processed to make them the way they are.
Why I chose to use goat cheese is due to its tangy flavor that our whole family enjoys along with its health benefits. "Goat Cheese has has more vitamins and minerals than cow's cheese. Goat's milk is richer in essential nutrients vitamin A, vitamin B, riboflavin, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium." - Source: Prevention It is also easier to digest as the proteins in goat milk are different than those in cows milk and it has less lactose.
For example, my husband has some digestive issues when he has cows milk. Extra mucus and indigestion accumulate in his throat when he drinks milk or eats ice cream. When he ate this creamy skillet mac and cheese he had no digestive issues whatsoever!
Skillet Mac and Cheese is such a crowd-pleaser created with only a few simple steps!
- Prepare the brown rice pasta according to package directions. I like to use Brown Rice Fusilli pasta noodles since they absorb lots of the creamy goat cheese white sauce. When the noodles are finished cooking, drain them then toss with olive oil and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, onion and garlic and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add broth, Italian seasoning mix, salt, pepper, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and corn starch. Mix for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add the coconut milk and mix 1 minute then add the cooked pasta and mix until coated.
Please tag me at #delightfulmomfood on Instagram if you make this skillet mac and cheese recipe because I always love to see what you are all making and sharing!
Skillet Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 cups of dry Fusilli brown rice pasta
- 3 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 cups coconut milk (not canned)
- ½ cup of vegetable broth
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning mix
- ¼ teaspoon of Himalayan salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup of corn starch or arrowroot flour
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook brown rice pasta according to package instructions. Drain and put it into a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, onion and garlic and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add broth, Italian seasoning mix, salt, pepper, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and corn starch. Mix for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add the coconut milk and mix 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and mix until coated. Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan.
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Alyssa says
For the goat cheese, is it regular soft goat cheese or a goat cheddar? Really excited to make this 🙂
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Alyssa! It is regular soft goat cheese.
FFB says
Hi!
When you write coconut milk do you mean canned coconut milk or the lighter kind you get in the dairy free milk section? Thank you so much for coming up with a low lactose easy mac n cheese, looks so delicious!
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
You are so welcome! It is not canned, just coconut milk in the dairy-free milks. I have updated that in the ingredients:-). Thanks!