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14 Comfort Food Makeovers

Readers’ favorite recipes, slimmed down with smart substitutions

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1 /14 Photo by Iain Bagwell; styling by Dan Becker; written by Amy Machnak

Grown-Up Mac ’n’ Cheese

In our reboot of the childhood favorite, mac ’n’ cheese is made for grown-ups with bacon and gruyère.

Recipe: Grown-up Mac 'n' Cheese

2 /14 Photo by Iain Bagwell; styling by Dan Becker; written by Amy Machnak

Vegetable Enchiladas

Your typical vegetarian enchiladas are mostly cheese. That’s not the case with this version, loaded with fresh spinach, corn, and two types of beans.

Recipe: Vegetable Enchiladas

3 /14 Photo by Iain Bagwell; styling by Dan Becker; written by Amy Machnak

Eggplant Parmesan

This (non-casserole) version of eggplant parmesan is lighter and fresher tasting than the classic—we ditched the breading and added spicy sauce and fresh herbs.

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

4 /14 Photo by Iain Bagwell; styling by Dan Becker; written by Amy Machnak

Quick Chicken Potpie

Everyone loves chicken potpie, but it takes 2 hours to make. We’ve traded from-scratch pie dough for homemade croutons, creating a great potpie in half the time.

Recipe: Quick Chicken Potpie

5 /14 Photo by Annabelle Breakey; food styling by Randy Mon

Lasagna with Sausage Ragù Redux

The original: 44 g fat

Today: 12 g fat

The makeover: Turkey sausage subs for fattier pork, puréed cottage cheese mimics béchamel, and a splash of olive oil replaces nearly half a cup of butter.

Recipe: Lasagna with Sausage Ragù Redux

6 /14 Photo by Annabelle Breakey; food styling by Randy Mon

Browny's Clam Chowder Revisited

The original: 50 g fat

Today: 6.9 g fat

The makeover: The original recipe, from a now-defunct Seattle restaurant, called for a quart of heavy whipping cream––we used milk thickened with flour.

Recipe: Browny's Clam Chowder Revisited

More chowder recipes

7 /14 Photo by Annabelle Breakey; food styling by Randy Mon

Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

The original: 36 g fat

Today: 10 g fat

The makeover: Egg whites replace half the original whole eggs; a graham cracker crust stands in for pie dough, low-fat cottage cheese for cream cheese, and Greek yogurt for sour cream.

Recipe: Luscious But Low-Fat Cheesecake

More low-fat cheesecake recipes

8 /14 Photo by James Carrier, styling by Karen Shinto

Fettuccine Alfredo with Peas and Prosciutto

Prosciutto and parmesan cheese keep the satisfaction factor high for this lean dish.

Recipe: Fettuccine Alfredo with Peas and Prosciutto

9 /14 Photo by James Carrier; styling by Karen Shinto

Chicken Cacciatore

Boned chicken thighs make a quick, flavorful starting point for this lightened meal.

Recipe: Chicken Cacciatore

10 /14 Photo by James Carrier; styling by Karen Shinto

Curried Mussels with Oven Frites

These mussels were inspired by a dish prepared at Château Loudenne in the Bordeaux region of France.

The shellfish cook quickly in a curry-wine broth and join crisp fries made lighter by being cooked in the oven.

Recipe: Curried Mussels with Oven Frites

11 /14 Photo by James Carrier; styling by Karen Shinto

Sweet and Sour Pork

It's as fast to whip up this colorful, light version of the take-out classic as it is to order out for Chinese.

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork

12 /14 Photo by James Carrier; styling by Karen Shinto

Duck à l'Orange

Traditional French cuisine goes exotic with the addition of green olives, but it's still be on the table in no time.

Recipe: Duck à l'Orange

13 /14 Photo by James Carrier; styling by Karen Shinto

Shortcut Chicken Cassoulet

This lighter, quicker version of cassoulet is packed with all the earthy flavor of its classic counterpart.

Recipe: Shortcut Chicken Cassoulet

14 /14 James Carrier

Sardine Factory Cioppino

Look no further for your go-to cioppino recipe. This lightened version is rich with tomato, wine, and aromatics, and loaded with clams, shrimp, crab, scallops, and halibut.

Recipe: Sardine Factory Cioppino