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Keto mac n cheese, anyone?! We all have those foods that make us nostalgic for our childhood. For some, it may be chicken noodle soup, for others perhaps casserole dishes or meatloaf. For me, it was the ever-famous Kraft mac-and-cheese. Nothing fancy, just the stuff from the blue box, powder and all.
Even after I realized I have an intolerance to gluten, I would crave mac-and-cheese like no other. To the point where I bought several boxes of Annie’s GF mac and cheese and gorged myself on each box within a week. My stomach was not happy with me, y’all. Well, it was while I ate the cheesy, gooey, delicious bowl of pasta—not so much after the fact!
There’s just something about the sharp cheddar of the cheesy powder in this boxed macaroni dish that I absolutely love. For a while, I would attempt cheesy cauli-mac substitutes, and while they were a deliciously cheesy dish themselves, they were still no match to the childhood favorite I grew up with. I had about given up on a keto mac n cheese option until I ran across a product on Amazon that caught my attention: Anthony’s Goods Cheddar Cheese Powder. I kept it on my keto wish list for a while, reluctant to try it as I tweaked and tweaked and tweaked my cauli-mac concoction over and over again.
Creating the Perfect Keto Mac and Cheese
Recently, my mac-and-cheese craving got REALLY intense. I blame COVID, this winter weather, and being cooped up in this house! I needed something truly comforting to eat and this cheesy pasta dish was the first thing that instantly came to mind. Finally biting the bullet, I ordered Anthony’s Goods Cheddar Cheese Powder, crossing fingers that it would be as good as the reviews claimed.
My package arrived safely and dipped my finger in the pouch to try out the dry powder’s flavor. OMG. Oh. My. GOD. It was like I was sprung back to five-year-old me, licking the spoon after my mom had stirred the macaroni to perfection. The flavor was SO on point.
So, What Now?
So, the question at this point was how to recreate the mac n cheese “keto style” without losing the flavor of the powder. I COULD use cauliflower, but that just lacks the same texture as a macaroni noodle. I could make egg noodles, but it would compromise the flavor. Then it came to me: I could use the same noodles I constantly rave about for my alfredo sauce recipe: LIVIVA shirataki oat fiber noodles!
Before you scroll away because you read shirataki noodles: NOT ALL NOODLES ARE CREATED EQUAL. I’ve tried several, and I, too, am turned off by the usual rubbery, fishy components that make up these gelatinous noodles. However, while LIVIVA has a slight fishy smell when opening up the package (which is EASILY removed once rinsed in hot water for a few minutes), it lacks the rubbery texture that several shirataki noodle products have. I think it’s the oat fiber that they add (learn more about their noodle ingredients at their website). What you’re left with is a low carb noodle with a texture like a well-cooked pasta noodle. I use their fettuccine version in my creamy alfredo recipe and it’s always a sure winner in our household!
So, now with this idea in mind and this new powder to play with, it was time to get to work. Anyone who is a mac-and-cheese connoisseur like myself knows that you have to have a great ratio of butter, cream, and cheese to create the perfect creamy mac-and-cheese. For this one-bowl recipe, we are using the following ingredients:
Ingredients for Keto Mac and Cheese:
- 2 tbsp Anthony’s Brand Cheese Powder — this stuff is GOOD. And I mean GOOD. A little goes a long way, and the price really isn’t that bad considering how much you get and the fact that this stuff is shelf-stable. Trust me on this one and give it a try. If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up wanting to put this on everything!
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream — traditionally, many use milk or half-and-half for mac and cheese. But, in this keto-fied version, we’re upping the fat content to keep us satiated with full heavy cream.
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter — Because, butter. This is going to give us a rich, creamy sauce to work with.
- 1/8 tsp Xanthan Gum — This is optional, but highly recommended. Especially if you end up subbing the noodles for cauliflower, which will leak water when mixing with the sauce. This bit of xanthan gum will help our sauce bind a bit better to give it the consistency we are looking for.
- 1/2 pouch LIVIVA Shirataki Noodles with Oat Fiber — these noodles are the key to making this recipe have the mouth-feel of real mac ‘n cheese. We aren’t going to pretend this is a COMPLETELY perfect dupe because let’s face it, we’re on a low-carb/keto diet after all and watching our carbs. However, these noodles are a great replacement without the gross rubbery texture that some other brands have.
- Toppings! — You’ll see in the below recipe that I prefer to add crumbled bacon, red chili pepper flakes, and grated parmesan to my mac ‘n cheese. These aren’t necessary, but man do they take the flavor profile up a notch! Try swapping out different toppings for a completely new experience.
How Many Net Carbs Are in This Keto Mac and Cheese?
Great question! As is the case with any recipe, net carbs can vary a bit depending on the ingredients you’re using. However, with my calculations and my specific brand ingredients, an entire recipe of this keto mac n cheese (one bowl) comes out to 7g net carbs. That’s six times fewer carbohydrates than the 42g net carbs in a typical cup of prepared macaroni and cheese (or 45g net carbs if you’re going with the ever-popular blue-box brand)!
While this may not be an everyday meal for you at this carb count, it’s something I find I can easily fit into my day’s macros if I plan correctly. And, honestly, it’s COMFORT FOOD at less than 10g carbs—I’ll take it!
Keto Shirataki Noodles with Oat Fiber
The key to the pasta-like texture of this recipe is the specific noodles we are using here. Forget what you know about other Shirataki noodles. These specific noodles include oat fiber, which works to break away from the typical rubbery texture you may have grown to associate shirataki noodles with given their typically gelatinous texture. The oat fiber is completely gluten-free and only lends the smallest bit of carbs to an entire serving of noodles. Liviva, formerly known as Zeroodle, carries these noodles and I can promise you that they’re worth the buy. Your local store may even carry them (I’m able to find mine at the local Market Street near us in the pasta aisle) if you’re wanting to try one bag out by itself before committing to a bulk order on Amazon or their website.
Keto Mac ‘N Cheese Recipe
Bacon and Cream’s Keto Mac ‘N Cheese
Equipment
- Mesh strainer
- Silicone Tongs
- Frying pan
- Small saucepan
- Silicone whisk
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Anthony's Goods Cheese Powder*
- 1/2 pouch Liviva Shirataki Noodles**
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1-1.5 tbsp butter
- 2 pinches kosher salt separated
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 1-2 slices bacon cooked to preferred crispiness and crumbled
- 1 dash red chili pepper flakes optional
- parmesan cheese, grated optional
Instructions
Prepping the Noodles
- Cut open the bag and drain into mesh strainer over sink.
- Rinse noodles thoroughly with hot water for 5 minutes, kneading noodles with a pinch of kosher salt.
- Use kitchen scissors to chop the noodles over and over to make smaller noodle pieces, more resembling the length of macaroni noodles.
- Drain noodles completely and place on a dry frying pan set to medium-high.
- Fry noodles on pan until they look dry and are squeaking (generally 4-5 minutes). Set aside.
Making the Sauce
- While the noodles are pan-frying, place a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add butter and heavy cream and stir with silicone whisk until butter is fully melted. Do NOT let the mixture get to a boil.
- Slowly whisk in the pinch of kosher salt and the cheese powder, adding 1/2 tbsp at a time, whisking repeatedly to smooth out any clumps.
- Once the sauce is well blended and all clumps are smoothed out, let sauce reach a slow simmer before whisking in the xanthan gum. Let the sauce thicken for 1-2 minutes.
Assembling the Mac 'N Cheese
- Pour the thickened sauce over the noodles in the frying pan. Use silicone tongs to toss together.
- Add crumbled bacon and the dash of chili pepper flakes (if using). Toss to incorporate.
- Pour mac 'n cheese into a bowl. If using, top with grated parmesan cheese at this time.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!