Low-cal comfort food: Mac ’n’ cheese, french fries

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook the macaroni according the package directions. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta, salt, mustard, and cayenne. Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.

Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, and oil in a small bowl.

Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheeses are bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Per serving: Calories 390; total fat 11g (sat fat 6g, mono fat 1g, poly fat 0.5g); protein 18g; carb 56g; fiber 3.5g; cholesterol 35mg; sodium 547mg

Brown the meat and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks.

Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeño, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the buns. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Place a 1/2-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

Per serving: Calories 265; total fat 4.5g (sat fat 1.1g, mono fat 1.5g, poly fat 1.2g); protein 20g; carb 40g; fiber 8g; cholesterol 30mg; sodium 535mg