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Are you still looking for a great low carb macaroni and cheese recipe that doesn’t use cauliflower? Give this shirataki noodle macaroni and cheese a try!
I don’t know about you, but I was so disappointed when I discovered that Dreamfields pasta was misleading everyone about the effective carbs in the product.
A part of me knew it had to be too good to be true. It’s almost impossible to get that pasta taste and texture without impacting carbs.
When the news came out about the high carb pasta being marketed as low carb, I had already posted several recipes using the product. I’ve gradually been reworking those recipes.
I already redid the chili macaroni recipe into a chili cheese stuffed spaghetti squash. This time, I have redone my lower carb macaroni and cheese recipe into a shiratake noodle macaroni and cheese.
When I first tried shirataki noodles over five years ago, I couldn’t stand them. They have a fishy odor right out of the package and can be rubbery if not cooked right.
Turns out, I just wasn’t preparing them correctly. The secret to getting them to work right is to rinse well and get them as dry as possible before using. Boiling them for a few minutes is also supposed to get rid of the odor, but I’ve managed to get rid of the odor by rinsing well and frying.
To use shiratake noodles, you want to drain and rinse well out of the package. Some people boil them next and say that it’s needed to get rid of the odor.
However, I typically skip that step and just dry the noodles well on a clean towel. Then, I fry them in a dry pan to remove most of the moisture.
I have read that microwaving can also be used to remove moisture, but I’ve never tried that. The Keto Diet App has some great tips on how to cook shirataki noodles.
Other than ditching the high carb noodles for shiratake noodles, one other change was made. I used canned coconut milk rather than the almond milk.
News has come out that commercially prepared almond milk has very little almond in it.
Unlike to you make homemade almond milk, you are better off using something more pure. That’s why my preferred low carb milk is canned coconut milk.
The coconut milk sold in cartons, is diluted with a lot of added ingredients. So, I use the one in the can now.
I like to top the shiratake noodle macaroni and cheese casserole off with some crushed pork rinds. It gives it a nice little crunch and dresses it up a bit.
If you don’t like pork rinds, you can omit them or use low carb bread crumbs. You can also top it off with additional cheese and broil the casserole at the end of baking to brown the top.
Although I like cauliflower mac and cheese, it’s not the same as using a traditional noodle. When I first saw the ziti shaped shiratake noodles, I knew that I had to figure out how to use them for a low carb macaroni and cheese.
I decided to add a video for this for this shirataki noodle macaroni and cheese. If you check out the video, you’ll see how easy it is to make this recipe. In fact, it’s got to be just as easy or even easier than using regular pasta noodles.
Next time, I will try boiling the noodles to see if makes a difference in taste. And, I’m going to experiment with using the microwave. I don’t particularly like using the microwave, but it may be better than drying in a frying pan.
I love macaroni and cheese so I’m glad that I can finally have it without worrying about carbs or settling for cauliflower. The real test is to see if my daughters will eat this casserole.
Low Carb Shirataki Noodle Macaroni and Cheese
I didn’t share this dish with the family because I wanted to use the leftovers for a week of work lunches. But, I plan to make this low carb shirataki noodle macaroni and cheese recipe again soon.
Have you used shirataki noodles? Do you like them? If so, what’s your favorite way to serve them?
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Shirataki Noodle Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 21 ounces shiratake ziti Miracle Noodles
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup crushed pork rinds
Instructions
- Drain shirataki noodles and rinse well. Place into boiling water for 3 minutes then drain, if desired.
- Dump noodles into clean towel and squeeze to absorb excess moisture. Cut noodles into shorter pieces, if needed.
- In dry frying pan, stir fry noodles for 5-10 minutes to get as dry as possible. (A microwave may also work)
- Combine noodles, cheese, coconut milk, cream, egg, mustard, and garlic powder in medium bowl.
- Pour into 8×8 baking dish.
- Sprinkle crushed pork rinds on top.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Rachel Shimon says
Hi,
I tried this recipe at home yesterday, and it turned out to be really delicious..
Thank you so much for such a yummy recipe.
Gonna save this and will share with others.
Keep sharing 🙂
melanie sakowski says
Hey Lisa,
Big yum on this, but what’d you suggest for a dairy-free version?
Thanks,
Melanie
Lisa MarcAurele says
You could try a dairy-free cheese sauce made with cauliflower like this one: https://allnaturalideas.com/vegan-cheese-sauce/
Charles says
This recipe sounds like it would be good with pulled pork, bacon, jalapenos and homemade keto BBQ sauce. Herr’s makes a BBQ flavored pork rinds with no carbs. You could even use those. Or you can make buffalo chicken Mac and cheese, hamburger helper, chilimac, lasagna mac. You could also eat it just like it is in all of it’s cheesy goodness. Also on a side note, there is a local Asian grocery store near me that sells about every Shirataki noodle you can think of but you have to be careful because some are a mixture of Shirataki and other elements like yam or sweet potato which have carbs.
Lisa MarcAurele says
You do need to check ingredients on the package. Not all shirataki are mainly konjac which is what the low carb ones are made from.
Sue says
I tried the noodles yesterday for the first time. I braced for the smell, expecting to gag. I dumped them in a strainer and noticed no smell. Maybe it’s the brand? These were by Genki USA.
I microwaved them while sauteeing onion and garlic. Threw in some cut up steak and broccoli. A little soy and Worcestershire sauce. Amazing!
I think the WHOLE thing was 431 calories. I LOVED IT!
Lisa MarcAurele says
I haven’t tried that brand. But I have noticed that some shiratake noodles have a stronger smell than others.
JANET FALLICO says
WHERE ARE THE RECIPES?
Lisa says
They are at the bottom of each post.
Megan Mother of 3 says
Loved this!!!! We added some extra cheese at the end and used a little Tabasco to spice it up!
Lisa says
Extra cheese is always welcome for me!
Maryh says
I’m very excited to try this mac and cheese out!! However I only have 14 oz of ziti.. think the recipe would be fine cutting it in half? Or should I add more to the ingredients to make up for extra noodles?
Lisa says
Cutting it in half and baking in a smaller dish is fine.
Yvonne Holden says
I used Miracle Noodles that I ordered from Amazon and followed the directions on the package exactly. There is no smell. I’m very pleased. Actually, my son and husband, who are not on low carb diets, love these noodles in place of their typical pack of ramen. We will definitely be eating these in the future.
Lisa says
That’s awesome! I don’t find any smell either when properly prepared.
Renee says
Rinse noodles. Then sprinkle some coarse salt on them and let them sit in a colander for about 5-10 minutes. Then rinse really well with hot water. Let them dry out. no odor at all
Lisa says
I’ll give that a try. I bet the salt draws out more of the liquid which is what holds in the odor.
Erik says
What about a stovetop version that doesn’t require baking?
Lisa says
I’d probably just make a cheese sauce and dump it over the prepared noodles.
James says
I do this a couple of times a week with Ragu cheese sauce and add bacon pieces and pulled pork and top with some sriracha. delicious and very easy.
Sarah says
I had the same problem with shiratake noodles. I’d tried them years ago and hated the taste and texture. But, yeah, I was making them all wrong! I’ve reintroduced them into my low carb lifestyle, washing them, tossing them in a little lemon juice, drying, ad pan frying them. Tasted so much better! The texture I didn’t like before was from the flat noodles, but the spaghetti ones are great, and I like them a little al dente.
I love Mac N Cheese, so I am definitely trying this recipe. 🙂
Lisa says
I refused to eat shiratake after first trying. The smell was just horrible. I’m so glad I figured out how to get rid of that nasty smell/taste.
Cindi says
I really like the miracle noodles now. I have used them for all sorts of casseroles and also used the rice ones for sushi! My fave is alfredo, bu I will definitely be trying the mac and cheese.
Lisa says
They do seem to take a little bit to warm up to. I really disliked them at first, but now I think they are amazing low carb pasta.
Jamie says
I’ve substituted regular noodles for these noodles with everything. I rinse my noodles well, then I boil my noodles and rinse again. I’m going to try frying them next time but once cleaned I combine with Alfredo sause or tomato sauce. Any residue of smell or taste is gone. I’ve also reduced the amount of red meat eaten and have now substituted for tofu:-)
Lisa says
They sell ones that don’t need pre-rinsing and drying now!
Pam says
Maybe instead of pork rinds for a crunchy topping, how about nice crispy bacon?
Lisa says
I like that idea!
Kelly says
this looks so very good & yummly!, hope that you will have more shirataki noodle recipes in the future.
Lisa says
I do love shirataki noodles. I’ve been redoing a lot of my old pasta recipes with them.
Soozcat says
Yeah-no. The taste of shirataki noodles is perfectly neutral if prepared correctly, but I can’t get past the texture; it’s like eating boiled rubber bands. In the mouth, it feels more like some sort of plastic than an actual foodstuff. I’ll continue to look for a pasta alternative that tastes like real food.
Lisa says
I’ve looked and this is the best I’ve found. It’d be great if there were.
Connie says
Me and my family just tried the noodles for the first time and we all agreed we couldn’t stand it. I followed the process exactly but what we found was that, nothing stuck to it and it was extremely “squidy”. It was jiggly and reminded us of calamari and squid. If texture is not a problem then it might be ok for some. I almost made a spaghetti sauce and decided to bulk it up with zucchini and other bulkier veggies. But just cant do these noodles yet. Love all of your other inspirations though. Keep up the amazing recipes because they still offer amazing solutions and inspire me.
Lisa says
I’m so glad you didn’t mention that it had a bad taste. So, it sounds like you did prep it properly. The noodles do have a different texture than pasta, but I wouldn’t say squid. Squid is more rubbery. It’s the best pasta replacement I’ve found other than spaghetti squash and zoodles. And it’s practically zero carbs. Thanks for the honest opinion!
Connie says
Yeah, we washed away all of the fishy solution and upon skillet drying I found it tasted fine. Just going to take a little bit of tolerance for the texture. lol My son actually didn’t mind it which was so surprising. So I can truly say that every one of your recipes is truly worth trying, texture is usually a self issue anyways. 🙂
Bec Snyder says
I went right to the source…the Miracle Noodles website. They suggest that boiling the noodles for 15 minutes (after rinsing 3 times!) will remove some of the ‘bounciness’. I did it that way with the angel hair, and it really did improve the ‘tooth’ of the noodles. I didn’t notice any unpleasant smell from the noodles right out of the bag, but then, I’m a fan of dashi stock. 😉
I made chicken Alfredo to put over the angel hair, and it was very satisfying!
Lisa says
I’m pretty sure cooking in a dry pan does the same thing as it stems the noodles dry. I’ve been told by others who tried both methods that the boiling isn’t necessary if you cook them dry first.
Gloria says
I find the easiest way to prep the noodles is to simply drain them, rinse them well, put them in a dish and microwave them for about 2 min. I pour off any excess water that is in the bowl and then, put them into a dry frying pan and let them “fry” until they squeak when stirred….that means all the water is out!
I have these EVERY DAY as I am on a low protein diet and really crave a big plate of pasta…I prep the noodles and top with anything from greens and olive oil, to Italian-style mixes of eggplant or zucchini along with peppers, onions, etc.
YUMMY!!!!!!
Lisa says
Thanks for this! I’m somewhat new to Miracle Noodles so I haven’t tried microwaving yet. However, I did find that soaking them in water after draining and then frying until dry got rid of all the yucky taste! I will try microwaving to see if that speeds up the process.
Connie says
Yea I microwaved them too and it worked great!
Lisa says
I still haven’t tried the microwave method.
Mike says
Thanks will try this on my granddaughters love of mac and cheese…another way to get the smell out is:
Rinse well
Soak in White Vinegar and Water for about 15 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly again
dry as you suggested.
Lisa says
Can you taste the vinegar? I’ve soaked it in plain water for about 5-10 minutes before draining and that seems to help too.
Catherine says
Dear Lisa, what a creative and delicious dish…I would never have thought of this, but it is a great idea! xo, Catherine
Lisa says
Thanks Catherine!