Baked Cheesy Pasta Casserole

Happy Friday Eve all! Don’t you just love it when you try a delicious sounding new recipe for a healthy Cheesy Baked Pasta and it turns out amazing?!?

Ya, me too and tonight’s dinner is totally going on my list of dinners to repeat.But, before I dive into that cheesy goodness, let me tell you about the rest of my day.

I had another breakfast on the fly that The Husband prepared because early morning meetings are rough.

Healthy Eggroll (3 sp) & watermelon eaten in my drive in.Today was our “Something to Celebrate” lunch at a local Thai place. I was super excited to try it as the menu sounded so good. As pretty as the pictures are, I have to admit it was just OK and a bit too sweet for me. That made it easier to scoop less.

Everything below was shared by our group and I am counting my scoops as 14 sp.

Chicken lettuce wraps
Mango Salad
Green Curry Chicken
Drunken Noodles
Grilled Shrimp Noodle Bowl

No worries though because having Cheesy Mac for dinner makes everything right in the world again. Each cheesy slice comes in at 8 Smartpoints and I served it up with a side salad with homemade ranch (1 sp).Here is my spin on this Baked Cheesy Noodle Recipe.?

My big kid doesn’t mind veggies so I left them big and added a little bell pepper for a peppery bite.I also used ground turkey plus garlic salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. You could use ground turkey breast for a zero point addition or use veggie crumbles to make this vegetarian.Once the veggie meat mix is cooked, add the tomato sauce and cook until most the liquid evaporates, about 3-5 minutes.Add the pasta, stir and pour into the casserole dish.Whisk together the flour and milk over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese to make a creamy cheese sauce.Resist taking a spoon to eat it and pour it over the casserole. Top with the remaining cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.If you want that crunchy golden top, turn the heat up to 450 and bake for 4-5 minutes longer.It does take a bit of work to make this, but, it’s so worth it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to work for a little crispy cheese topped pasta that covers creamy, cheesy, meaty pasta….