Sunday, March 16, 2014

Spinach Macaroni Cheese

Whenever I serve macaroni and cheese I always serve it up with a big helping of green veggies.  I guess there are two reasons for this.  Mostly it's because I'm trying to balance out all that cheese with some green veggies, but also because I think green veggies pair well with anything cheesy.  Truth be told, I also enjoy mixing the green veggies into my mac and cheese.  So when I saw this easy peasy recipe for mac and cheese with spinach it had to happen.

This is a super quick version of mac and cheese.  The sauce isn't cooked at all.  The ingredients for the sauce are simply stirred into the al dente pasta and then baked for a quick 10-15 minutes.  The result is delicious and creamy, but a little different from most mac and cheese recipes out there.  This is certainly not the cheesiest mac and cheese, but it is really delicious and I love that it incorporates spinach.  Makes for a really quick all-in-one meal!

I think this dish would be really great with any type of green, especially kale and chard. I've been seeing some beautiful rainbow chard in the markets lately and I'm thinking a rainbow chard version is in my near future.


Spinach Macaroni Cheese
Adapted from DonnaHay.com
Serves 6-8

1 pound box macaroni*
2 cups milk
1 cup cream
1-1/2 cups grated cheddar
1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
150g baby spinach
1 cup grated cheddar, for topping

Notes: Any short pasta will work for this recipe.  I used a mix of sharp cheddar and mixed cheddar because it's what I had on hand.


Theme: Eating of the Green!

8 comments:

  1. Spinach is one of my favorite foods so balance or not, I'm on board with this mac & cheese! I also like a mac & cheese that contains mustard (I know you probably do too!). Sorry I haven't been around much. I had a non-cooking thing going on my blog for a while and then Mardi Gras. Starting to feel back on track. Have missed you, Kim!

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  2. This sounds good, I like how easy it is. And I finally got some small cast iron dishes like this :) Not exactly but they had them at the Lodge store.

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  3. I love sticking spinach into many of the dishes I make--especially pasta--so this looks right up my alley. That layer of cheese on top makes me happy too. ;-)

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  4. Hi Kim,
    Mac and cheese is my kids' favourite! They love anything cheezy and they are not particular about veggies, so these would be perfect for them! Looks delicious!

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  5. I do love how easy this is and I'm always up for putting greens in my mac and cheese!

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  6. Love this idea. And I really love those cast iron dishes. Must find them.

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  7. Looks delicious! I love the idea of putting the green veggies in the mac 'n' cheese.

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  8. Love this idea, Kim. I love mac and cheese (my ultimate comfort food), but I never would have thought to add spinach - now I can't wait to try it. I'm also loving the idea of the non-cook sauce - perfect for a quick and easy and perfectly comforting dinner. Could well be dinner tomorrow night!!

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