Cheesy Spaetzle

As I mentioned last week, I've pretty much never met a carb I didn't like.  However, this year I've tried to change the proportion of carb to protein that I eat.  One way I'm doing that is to cut out most servings of bread or pasta except for what I make myself.  That way, my carb consumption is limited by my own laziness (or workload), and I can make sure we are eating carbs made with organic flour and pastured eggs.

One easy dish that I like is cheesy spaetzle, a take on macaroni and cheese.  It starts with your own homemade spaetzle -- see a link the the butternut squash variety here -- and then just adds your favorite cheese.  The freshly made spaetzle allows the cheese to melt and blend readily, so you really don't have to make a sauce or bake the macaroni and cheese dish in the oven.  All in all, it turns out to be about as time-efficient as most homemade macaroni and cheese recipes.

Cheesy Spaetzle
One recipe spaetzle (made with 3 cups flour and 3 eggs)
8 oz shredded cheddar

Make spaetzle according to directions above and place in bowl with a pat of butter (about 2T).  When entire batch is made, place in a saute pan with shredded cheese over low heat, and mix gently until cheese is melted.

The Analysis
Fast:  Spaetzle is not particularly fast, but the entire recipe above cooks in about 45-60 minutes, making this an ideal weekend meal or side dish.

Cheap:  Certainly more expensive than boxed macaroni and cheese, but also much tastier and healthier.

Good:  This is a recipe that emphasizes quality over cost or speed.  I use organic flour, pastured eggs, and cheese made from milk with no added hormones, so I know that my body at least has a fighting chance to process those carbs naturally.  A nice dance lesson or yoga class after dinner doesn't hurt either!