Apparently it's grillin' season — Florida did not get the memo! If it isn't disgustingly humid outside where you live though, you're probably loving cooking anything and everything outside on the grill. And did you know you can make mac and cheese on the grill too?! Today, we're taking this cheesy deliciousness outside to cook, and we're adding some high fiber summer squash and high protein lump crab for some much appreciated balance in this classically indulgent dish. Let's get outside and into this 40+ gram protein mac, shall we?
1/2cupcollagen peptides or protein unflavored/unsweetened
8ozAmerican cheese
4ozParmesan cheesefreshly grated
1/2tspOld Bay
1/4 tspblack pepperfreshly ground
1/4 tspcayenneor to taste
Kosher saltto taste
12ozlump crab
1lbpastaI used shells
1/4cupnutritional yeast
6ozColby Jack cheeseshredded
Instructions
Prep and grill the squash. Cut the ends of the squash, then slice lengthwise into 1/4” thick strips. Season with salt and spray or drizzle with oil to coat. Turn your grill to medium high heat, and spray the grates with oil. Arrange the squash on the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes, then rotate 45 degrees and repeat. Flip and repeat on the other side, then remove, chop into small pieces, and set aside.
Make the sauce. Lower the flames to medium, then set a medium dutch oven (or other oven safe pot) on the grill, close the lid and heat for 5-10 minutes. Add the butter and melt, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add the whole milk and heat till steamy — don’t bring to a boil or the sauce will separate! Add the collagen and whisk till dissolved, then add the American cheese, parm, Old Bay, black pepper and cayenne and whisk till melted and smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste, then add the squash and crab and mix to combine.
Add the pasta and finish. Boil the pasta in liberally salted water till 2 minutes under the al dente time on the package, then reserve about a cup of starchy pasta water, and drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine, then mix in the nutritional yeast and stir till well distributed. Top with the Colby-Jack (or American), then lower the heat to medium low, close the lid, and cook until bubbly and the cheese on top is fully melted. Remove from the heat, let sit for 5 minutes, then serve!
Notes
You can make this on the stovetop as well, just roast the squash in a 425°F oven on a couple sheet pans for 30 minutes, rotating the pans and flipping the squash halfway through cooking. Follow the same Mac instructions for stovetop cooking.
If you’d like to brown the cheese on top, you can always finish the Mac in the oven under the broiler instead!
For a budget option, use canned tuna instead of crab! It gives all the tuna helper vibes.
MICRONUTRIENT HEROES
84% calcium, 59% phosphorus, 39% vitamin B12, 30% vitamin A, 28% vitamin B2 + zinc, 22% vitamin D + selenium, 19% copper + iron
I'm a big eater, a huge fan of pasta (and mac n cheese), and I'm on a mission to prove that indulgence and balance can exist well together without silly restrictions or dieting. Life's too short to eat bad food!
