Whole grain Mac &’ Cheese and Creamy Corn Chowder ! Perfect for a cold winter evening. Mix the two together in one dish to make Corn Chowder Mac & Cheese and you have some serious comfort food. My Sunday Supper Team is doing a celebrity chef theme this week where we all blog recipes from a favorite celebrity chef and I am doing Rachel Ray ! I love to eat fancy food, but when it comes to cooking I need simple ! One of the reasons I love Rachel Ray is the fact that she does fancy and simple ! I gawk at the fancy and make the simple. Occasionally I catch her shows on TV and love her zest, energy and the way she just glows when she talks about food! I get her magazine every month and it’s one of my favorite reading materials on the train en route to DC. My kids love mac ‘n’ cheese and corn, so I figured a dish which had both would be a winner with them. The recipe was pretty simple but the end result was a gourmet Mac & Cheese ! Adult mac & cheese !! I made a few modifications to the recipe. I used whole grain pasta, and low-fat milk. I also substituted the butter for ghee which is clarified butter. I just like using ghee and since the recipe only called for just 3 tbsps , hey indulge a bit 🙂 ! I used 2 tbsp of ghee. I used turkey bacon just because I happened to have some in my freezer 🙂 ! I also used a lower fat version of cheese. The dish tasted so yum my kids didn’t even know it was made with whole grain pasta. I like that it had some spices like cayenne pepper, dill, mustard which give it an extra spicy touch. I also love the addition of celery, potato and peppers which gave it more body I thought and I absolutely love that it uses corn. I made mini pans …well I did want to show off my black and white dotted dishes that I picked up for just a few cents during black Friday. I like using mini pans because it makes it easier to personalize dishes. My youngest doesn’t like her food spicy, so while I sprinkled some extra cayenne on the mac & cheese for my husband, oldest and myself, I left hers a little bland. We had it for dinner and literally licked the platter clean. I know this is one dish I will be making again soon !
Nutrition Wise!
Whole grain pasta is a good source of fiber and B vitamins. milk and cheese are good sources of calcium and vitamin d ! corn adds to the fiber and the very fact that its made from scratch mac n cheese with real cheese makes it a wholesome dish that is in my opinion healthy comfort food ! Omit the bacon to make this a veggie dish.
Whole Grain Corn Chowdah Mac N Cheese
Print recipe
| Serves | 8 -10 servings |
| Dietary | Diabetic |
| Meal type | Main Dish, Side Dish |
| Misc | Child Friendly, Freezable, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
| By author | Rachel Ray |
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Whole grain Penne Rigate
- 4 ears of corn (husked)
- 1 Tsp Olive oil
- 1/ 4 Lb turkey bacon
- 1 baking potato
- 1/2 Tsp old bay seasoning
- 2 Stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 jalapeno (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 red onion (chopped)
- 4 Cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 Tbsp ghee (or butter)
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 2 Cups low fat milk
- 1/2 -1 Tsp cayenne
- 1 cup low fat parmigan - reggiana cheese (grated)
- 1 cup Low fat sharp cheddar cheese
Note
Omit bacon to make this dish veggie !
Directions
 | Boil penne pasta, add salt and cook al dente and drain. Husk the kernels off the corn and keep aside. |
 | Heat skillet. Add olive oil and cook bacon till crisp/ break into small bits. |
 | Add corn , potato, onion, diced pepper, jalapeno, garlic and saute for 8-10 minutes till soft |
 | Melt ghee, whisk in flour , then the milk. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook till mixture coats the spoon. Add grated parmigiano cheese. |
 | Add the corn potato mixture to the pasta. Add the white sauce mixture to the pasta,. Transfer to casserole. Top with cheddar cheese and bacon bits and broil 3- 5 minutes. Serve hot |
My Sunday Supper Team had cooked up a storm, all inspired by their favorite celebrity chefs ! Make sure you check them out !
FAVORITE CELEBRITY CHEF SUNDAY SUPPER RECIPES
Starters or Snacks :
- Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog – Oyster and Brie Soup and Wine Pairings for Celebrity Chef
- Linda at The Urban Mrs. – Inspired by Bobby Flay, Lobster Chowder with Roasted Corn Salsa
- Erin from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts – Rachael Ray’s Cinnamon Popcorn
- Cindy over at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings – Jamie Oliver’s Bread and Tomato Soup
- Jeff at The Catholic Foodie – Drop Biscuits – Breakfast with Chef John Besh
- Renee over at Kudos Kitchen By Renee – Giada De Laurentiis’ Garlic Toasts With Red Pepper Aioli
The Main Dish:
- Sheila at Cooking Underwriter – Paula Deen’s Chicken in a Crock Pot w/ Sauerkraut and Apples
- Laura over at Small Wallet Big Appetite – Martin Yan’s Beef Chow Fun
- Claire at The Realistic Nutritionist – Alton Brown’s 40 Cloves and a Chicken
- Sarah over at Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends – Michael Symon’s Lola burger with crab tater tots
- Susan at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen – Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi
- Katy over at Happy Baking Days – Mary Berry’s Treacle Tart
- Tammi at Momma’s Meals – Lee Drummond’s Sloppy Joe’s
- Lane over at Supper for a Steal – Bobby Flay’s Rosemary Bricked Chicken
- Tara from Noshing with the Nolands – Michael Symon’s Pork and Apple Scallopini
- Shannon at Country Girl in the Village – Simple Red Sauce over Rigatoni. Inspired by, Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos
- Kris over at In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene – Rachael Ray’s Muffin Tin Meatloaf
- Nicole from The Daily Dish Recipes – Paula Deen’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pickled Pork Sandwiches
- Becca from It’s Yummilicious – Ina Garten’s Grown Up Mac & Cheese
- Alice at Hip Foodie Mom – Sunday Pot Roast with Risotto Cakes from Kelsey Nixon
- Jen over at Juanita’s Cocina – The Neely’s White Turkey Chili
- Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips – Crockpot Beef Pot Roast with Mushrooms inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis
- Isabel at Family Foodie – Polenta with Garlicky Shrimp inspired by Chef Todd English
- Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet – Shrimp Penne in Pesto Cream Sauce, From Emeril Lagasse
- Bobbi over at Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen – Cheesy Poblano Chicken
- Patti at Comfy Cuisine – Tyler Florence’s Chicken Francese
- Chris from Sustainable Dad – Pork Tenderloin with Jerusalem Artichokes and Negroni Vinaigrette
- Roxanne over at The Roxx Box – Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille
- Sue from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz – Rachael Ray’s Spicy Corn Chowdah Mac ‘n’ Cheese
- Jamie at Mama Mommy Mom – Penne with Asparagus, Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto. Adapted from, Giada De Laurentiis’
- Tora over at Tora’s Real Food – Pork and beans with Alton Brown’s Pickled Pork
Amazing Sides:
- Elizabeth over at The Hand That Rocks The Ladle – Emeril’s New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice
- Megan from I Run For Wine – Curtis Stone’s Acorn Squash Roasted with Thyme
- Sandi over at Midlife Road Trip – Gabriele Corcos’s Gnocchi di Patate
- Shelby at Diabetic Foodie – Orange Pecan Black Rice, adapted from Ina Garten
- Katie from She likes Ruffles, He likes Truffles – Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto
Sweet Endings:
- Kim over at Cravings of a Lunatic – Chocolate Cream Puffs with Hazelnut Filling
- Renee over at Magnolia Days – Brownie Tart
- Connie at The Foodie Army Wife – Inspired by Ree Drummond – Scrumptious Apple Coffee Cake
- Paula over at Vintage Kitchen Notes – Bill Granger´s Cherry Tart
- Pam from The Meltaways – Savannah Sheet Cake
- Amber at Mama’s Blissful Bites – Huggy Buggy Bread Pudding
- Jaime over at Mom’s Test Kitchen – Southern Tea Cakes
- Amy over at Kimchi MOM – Crack Pie, I Can’t Quit You
- Lyn from The Lovely Pantry – Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares
- Melanie at From Fast Food to Fresh Food – Sand TartsWine Pairings:
- Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
Hi there! I’m Sunithi, AKA Sue, a registered dietitian with a sweet tooth and a passion for eating healthy (quite a combo) currently working as an independent consultant in the DC Metro area. I’m also a blogger, health nut, nutrition geek who jogs to keep sane :)! I love to revamp recipes and add some ‘Nutrition Bytes’ to them. All my recipes are gluten free! I also blog on natural health and fitness! Visit often and drop me a note if you have any nutrition queries!
Oh my that is one big dish of comfort! I can see making it on a cold winter’s day to warm up and fill up at the same time. Delish!
Yep, serious comfort food 🙂 Turned out pretty good !
Sounds so good, Sue! Love soups and ’tis the season!
It was a soupy mac & cheese for sure !
What a cool twist to mash together two amazing entrees like corn chowder and macaroni and cheese – it looks scrumptious!
Thanks Katie ! Was pretty scrumptious. Will try some buffalo chicken with it next I think !
So many flavors! I like that you use whole wheat pasta and bacon fat, jaja, perfect balance! This sounds like a great recipe for me. Have a great sunday Suni!
Thanks !! Let me know how it turns out 🙂 !
Great recipe, love the whole grain pasta. Making an indulgent dish a little better, is always a good thing! Love Rachael Ray!
Have had home made Mac N cheese with white pasta & I think the whole grain pasta gave it a whole another taste ! Better !!
Love Rachel Ray and her simple dishes, looks great!
Me too. thanks Tara !
I added this to my “Must Try” list!! I love how you skinnyfied it!! I can’t wait to try it! Happy #SundaySupper to you my friend!
Glad you liked it. The skiinnyfied version tastes the same 😉 !
Do you have leftovers? Because I’ll be needing some.
Yay ! Thanks Jen 🙂 Will mail you some !
Great substitutions! I also like to use ghee in place of butter if olive oil won’t work.
If youv’e cooked with Ghee , you know how it tastes 🙂 ! Guess I could have used olive oil too, but then I wouldn’t have the taste of ghee !!
Sue, I love Rachel too – she makes things so simple and tasty and I love it!
This looks delicious and has me totally intrigued. Perfect recipe pick!
Thanks Nicole ! Kids & DH loved it, so glad I found another simple week night recipe 🙂 !
PS. LOVE the dishes!!
Thanks for hosting ! Great job !! Just sorry I missed the chat on account of a migraine 🙁
Corn chowder and mac and cheese in the same dish! Love it!
I liked it the minute I saw it coz my kids love both those dishes 8 now it turns out I like it too 🙂 !
Thats a neat idea… dunno how i feel about doubling up on the starch haha
Yep, Lotsa carbs in this one ! Wont be a regular with me, but maybe with my kids. Perfect for that time when I want to carb load 🙂 !
Just like you – I love to eat fancy food but like to cook simple, comfort food – This looks stupendous 🙂
Thanks:) ! Much easier .. don’t you think ? making simple food & eating fancy outside. Thanks CJ ! Tasted really good !
what a great combo Sunithi. I would totally cheat my diet for this meal. Rachel Ray was one of my favorites too. I learned so many tips, tricks and techniques from her shows. I’m pretty sure I have watched every single episode of 30 minute meals.
Yep. She is a good one to watch. I don’t watch her shows as much because of the timing. I must tape them I think & watch while I workout 🙂 ! I do get her magazine though and gawk at all the good stuff. She does give practical foodie tips !!
This looks really delicious. My kids love Mac & Cheese a lot!
My kids too, although I must say this is a grown up Mac “N” Cheese too ! Had Paprika & cayenne in it ! Thanks for visiting !
Love this recipe and oh my…. I am coming over to steal those casserole dishes!
Aw Isabel ! we love love great deals. $1.49.. wishing I had picked up more. Then I could have sent you some. Am planning to go back weekend and see if they have any left 🙂 ! Thanks !
Again, wonderful stuff. Who does not like the comfort food of mac & cheese and to dress it up like this…woah!
http://carothersoliveoil.com/store/
Somewhat healthy( or healthier) comfort food am thinking 🙂 !!
Yummy Sue! This looks amazing. I love corn chowder and love Mac and cheese even more. Awesome!
the white sauce is really a great combination :). I’d like more cheese when make it. it’s so cheesy 🙂
Glad you liked it !!
The food looks so delicious, especially with the cheese, I will definitely love it.
Thanks for sharing the yummy recipe. Will definitely come back for more.