To cut the fat in this makeover recipe, we reduced the amount of butter from 1/4 cup to 1 tablespoon, switched the cheese to a reduced-fate Mexican cheese blend and chose lean ham over regular. These changes cut the calories by nearly a third and reduced the fat, saturated fat cholesterol and sodium by more than half.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Greendale, Wisconsin
Ham and Cheese Ranch Pasta
Ham and Cheese Ranch Pasta
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
15 min
Yield
10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
- 1-1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a Dutch oven, melt butter; whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk and seasonings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
- Reduce heat; fold in sour cream until blended. Add ham and pasta; cook and stir until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in Mexican cheese blend until melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
1 cup: 306 calories, 9g fat (5g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 612mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 2g fiber), 20g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 2 lean meat.
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