Zoodle mac and cheese = a big ‘ol plate of cheesy comfort food, done in 10 minutes!
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Green Giant as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Spiralized veggies are all the rage these days, and for good reason. They are low calorie, help boost your veggie & fiber intake, and are a gluten-free option for those with dietary limitations.
But do any of you just not feel like breaking out the spiralizer sometimes? I mean, don’t get me wrong: I love spiralized veggies, but it can be a kind of a pain to clean my spiralizer.
I’ve found the best solution to this dilemma, though. These new Green Giant Veggie Spirals! They are frozen, done-for-you, spiralized veggies. You can grab ‘em in four varieties – zucchini, butternut squash, carrots, and beets – and are all available at Walmart. The only ingredient is the veggie!
I love that they are frozen, because it makes it so much easier to keep ‘em on hand for whenever I want to whip up a veggie-packed dish with them. You can cook them in the microwave or on the stove top – just cook, drain, and they’re ready to use. And without any sauces or seasonings, you can incorporate them in any recipe you want to make.
Like using them to make this incredible zoodle mac and cheese.
{Side note – if spiralized zucchini is called zoodles, do you call spiralized beets bootles? Are carrots coodles? I’m really perplexed by this.}
Anyway, back to this recipe. This is low-calorie, high-protein, flavor-packed comfort food, ya’ll.
Instead of traditional mac & cheese with regular pasta, you’re loading up on filling zucchini noodles. And since the Green Giant Zucchini Veggie Spirals have about 90% fewer calories compared to the same portion size of pasta, you’re significantly cutting down the calories in the dish.
I’m talking a big difference. You can eat this ENTIRE recipe for 310 calories. An entire plate of cheesy, creamy deliciousness.
That fact maaaay have led to me eating this three times this week for dinner. But who’s counting?
[Tweet “Zoodle mac and cheese is the ultimate healthy take on comfort food!”]
I’ve added some greek yogurt to the cheese sauce, too, which helps to boost the protein content. Between the yogurt, zoodles, and cheese, you’re looking at 19 grams of protein for a main dish serving of this zoodle mac and cheese. That’s not bad at all for healthy comfort food.
And the entire recipe has less than 20 grams of carbs, so it can fit into any low-carb diet plans or lifestyles. I’m personally all about the #carblife, but totally respect that some people want to cut down on them.
Of course, if you’d rather make this as a side dish, it’s works perfectly that way too – especially alongside some BBQ chicken! Split it into four servings and you’ve got a side for under 100 calories.
And the best part? Start to finish, this is ready in 10 minutes. (Yes, 10 minutes!). I know most of you are probably busy balancing kids, your fitness goals, work – so let’s make things as easy as possible, right?!
Grab your ingredients and enjoy!
PS – you can find even more spiralized veggie recipe ideas over on the Green Giant site!
Zoodle Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 package Green Giant Zucchini Veggie Spirals
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tbsp flour (if gluten free, use rice flour)
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 1/2 tbsp shredded parmesan
- 1/2 tsp spicy mustard
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Place Green Giant Zucchini Veggie Spirals on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 6-7 minutes according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Stir in flour to form a roux.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in milk, greek yogurt, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, mustard, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese is melted. Turn off heat.
- Open package of zucchini noodles and drain water from package. Add zucchini noodles to cheese mixture in your pot and toss a few times until everything is well combined. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Share with me: What’s your favorite way to use zoodles? Have you ever made zoodle mac and cheese? Have you ever tried these Green Giant Veggie Spirals?
- 13 Ultimate Running Tips for Beginners (From a Coach) - September 28, 2023
- 20 Week Half Marathon Training Plan for Beginners - September 27, 2023
- What is a Running PR or PB? - September 23, 2023
I did not know there were frozen zoodles now! What a great idea. I sometimes make mac n cheese w spaghetti squash
So convenient, right?! And I bet spaghetti squash would be awesome in this recipe too.
What a great and simple recipe! I love making zoodles! <3
Thanks Samantha!
Green Giant’s zucchini iS AWFUL!! It’s frozen so when you heat it up the noodles are all soggy and wet.. Better to buy fresh zucchini and a spiralizer and bed bath and beyond and make them yourself!
Sorry you don’t enjoy it! I find it works well in this dish because the extra moisture helps thin out the cheese sauce a bit. But you can totally use fresh spiralized zucchini instead if that’s what you prefer! 🙂
Pre-spiralized zoodles is genius and such a time saver! Also these zoodles look perfectly creamy 🙂
Right?! And I love that these are frozen so you don’t have to use them before they go bad. You can just pull ’em out any time you need them.
i did not realize green giant made these…love how creamy this pasta looks!
They’re a new product! Definitely check it out.
What a clever idea to turn zoodles into mac and cheese. I’ll take zoodles anyday!
I’m with ya, zoodles are the best.
Goodness gracious this looks amazing!!! I love zoodles 😀
Thanks Emily! Hope you get a chance to try it out!
Yum, yum, yum! Zoodles are my favorite dinner! Yours looks so nice and creamy. Makes my hungry right away.
Thanks Laura 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try this recipe soon.
Yum! This looks so amazing! I had not seen these packaged zoodles before. I can’t wait to buy some to cook with, what a time saver!!
Yes, definitely super convenient on busy nights!
This is SO up my alley! I love that you can buy zoodles frozen now! I can’t wait to try this mac and cheese!
Thanks girl! Hope you love them!
I just bought a spiralizer, and now I can buy the zoodles frozen! LOL The frozen are a real time saver. I love how quickly this dish comes together!
Thanks Amanda! The frozen ones really do make it an easy 10 minute meal – comes in handy on those time crunched days, am I right?!
I’m all about healthifying comfort food. What a great idea to use zoodles!!
Thanks Alyssa! 🙂
Frozen zoodles!! Amazing.
This recipe looks great!
Thank you! 🙂
I have not seen these frozen zoodles…they look like a huge time-saver.I have a spiralizer…and it takes forever to clean, these would be ideal to have on hand for a quick meal.
Haha, exactly – stuff gets caught everywhere in my spiralizer and cleaning is such a pain, lol. These are great for a convenient option when you don’t want to deal with that.
I didn’t know you could buy frozen zoodles! I’ve only made them from scratch! These would be so convenient and your recipe sounds delish!
It’s a new product – so brilliant right? Then you can always have them on hand!
Frozen zoodles?!? This is life changing!
Haha, right?! Amazing!
Oooh I’ve seen these at the store and I’ve been tempted to try them. I think I’ll have to give them a go on the next shopping trip!
Definitely give ’em a whirl! 🙂
I have never thought to use zoodles for mac and cheese! How yummy!
I love using my spiralizer attachment but now I can use these if I am in a time crunch!
Thanks for sharing!
Yes! The thing I love is that you still get all that cheesy deliciousness you’re craving, just in a healthier way!
I’m currently trying to use up a gigantic zucchini from my garden (oops!), so I don’t think I should buy any frozen zucchini. Am I correct in assuming that I just completely skip the microwaving step when using fresh zoodles? Thanks!
Great question! If you’re using fresh zucchini, it depends on the texture you prefer. What I’ll usually do if I’m using fresh is just toss the zoodles in when I add the milk, yogurt, cheeses, etc – and let it cook for an extra minute or two. That should leave a little bite to the zucchini noodles. If you prefer a softer zucchini texture, though, you can steam them in the microwave with a little water in a bowl for a minute or two first, then add as directed.
I hope you like it! 🙂
Very tasty for the amount of time it took to make!
Has anyone tried to reheat these? This leftover. I’m going to try with fresh frozen zoodles from the garden and was thinking of making a larger batch and reheating for lunch.
Hi Shayla! Sorry for taking a few days to reply. I’m not a fan of them reheated because I feel like they get soggy. That said, maybe others have had different experiences!
This was SO good- I found that when using a large raw zucchini I had to double the sauce recipe to get the amount of cheese I like -big cheese fan 🙂 So easy and delicious!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Allison. Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and comment. 🙂