Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach Bake

Whenever I watch a movie or television program that involves a prisoner on death row ordering their last meal ever, it doesn't take me but 2 seconds to know what I would order (not that I'm planning to be on death row anytime soon). I have a small, guilty (and sometimes embarrassing) pleasure in that I love macaroni and cheese.  I'm sure I've tried them all but in the end I always come back to the blue box that is Kraft (the spiral noodles are my favorite).  I don't even know why.  Sure, it's enriched white pasta with processed powdered cheese but I will eat it without a second thought and defend my bowl to the end when I see my daughters coming towards me with a spoon for a bite.  I've even gone so far as to put in the blender after 3 occasions of oral surgery where I could not chew anything.  (It doesn't look so hot, but if you close your eyes it tastes the same.)

In any case, sometimes I need a grown-up version of mac & cheese to serve when entertaining.  This recipe fits the bill as you can use a whole-grain pasta and the spinach adds a strong nutritional component.  This is another super easy recipe that works well for a crowd.  As long as the kids don't have an aversion to anything green in their food they usually gobble it up without hesitation.

Macaroni and Cheese with Spinach Bake
Taken from Easy Everyday
Serves 4

8 oz. macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
15 oz cooked spinach, well drained (frozen spinach also works well here)
3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
large ovenproof dish

Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, remove from the heat, and mix in the flour to make a roux.  Return to a low heat and slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Drain the macaroni and add to the sauce along with the spinach, seasoning, and half the cheese.   Mix well.  Pour the mixture into the ovenproof dish, scatter the remaining cheese on top, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until golden.




(I confess that I didn't take this picture.  Sometimes the hunger is too overwhelming for the family that I forget to take my own picture. I have borrowed this photo from the cookbook Easy Everyday. But I swear it looks just like the photo and tastes just as good as it looks!)