Baked Mac Cheese With Spinach Food

CHICKEN AND SPINACH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and cook according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, place the chicken skin in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, being careful to keep the skin as flat as possible. Cook, flipping over halfway, for about 2 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the fat has rendered out. Remove the skin from the pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and wilt for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove the spinach from the pan and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is free of any lumps and light tan in color, about 1 minute. Lower the heat to medium, slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly, and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese, whisking to combine, and cook until it is melted and the sauce is smooth. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the chicken stock, lemon juice, yellow mustard and hot sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
• Add the drained pasta, wilted spinach and pulled chicken to the sauce. Stir to combine. Crumble the crispy chicken skin on top and serve immediately.

SPINACH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and cook until translucent, 6 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden and has a slightly nutty aroma, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, add 2 cups milk. Add remaining 2 cups milk, raise heat to medium-high, and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 13 to 15 minutes.
• Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

30-MINUTE BAKED MAC & CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 or a 2 quart baking dish.
• Cook pasta until al dente, drain in colander and sprinkle with olive oil.
• Place milk in a microwave safe bowl and cook for about 2 minutes until it is warm. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat and add flour, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes. Gradually add warm milk whisking until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick, about 10 minutes.
• Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 3 cups of cheese, reserving a cup for later, stir until melted. Add spinach, hot sauce, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and stir until the spinach has wilted.
• Combine the pasta and cheese sauce and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Place half in the prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 the remaining cheese. Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese. Pour cream over the entire mixture and sprinkle with panko.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH MAC AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat while macaroni is cooking. Add flour and whisk until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in a little milk and continue whisking. Pour in remaining milk and add frozen spinach. Cook, whisking constantly, until spinach softens and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Remove sauce from heat and stir in 2 cups Cheddar cheese; whisk until melted. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Drain macaroni and spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Cover with cheese sauce. Mix well. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Turn on the oven's broiler and broil until a golden crust forms on top, about 3 minutes.

LIGHTENED-UP SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Special equipment: a broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish
• Position an oven rack at the center of the oven, and preheat the broiler.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water; strain the pasta.
• Wipe out the pot. Add the butter, and melt over medium heat. Add the shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, and whisk constantly until it begins to toast, about 2 minutes. (The flour will form a thick paste, but that's okay; just keep it moving in the pot.) Whisk in the milk and the reserved pasta water, and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick like gravy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream, 2/3 cup of the mozzarella, the Swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan. Once the cheeses have melted, add the spinach, and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the artichoke hearts, pasta, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Transfer to a broiler-safe 2-quart baking dish.
• Stir together the remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella and 3 tablespoons Parmesan in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the pasta. Broil until golden and bubbly, about 2 minutes.

BAKED EGGS IN CREAMY SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.
• Set a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat to shimmering, then add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the nutmeg and Parmesan and season with a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper.
• Make 4 shallow depressions in the spinach mixture and carefully crack an egg into each one. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

BAKED MAC AND CHEESE WITH DICED HAM AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Prepare Kraft Macaroni and Cheese following package instructions, slightly undercooking the macaroni.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ham. Cook 1 minute longer. Use hands to squeeze excess moisture from the spinach and add it to the skillet. Stir in the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Mix well and transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake until warmed through and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes.

BAKED SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
• Clean spinach thoroughly. Remove all excess water. Chop spinach. Arrange spinach and flour in layers, nestle beaten eggs about midway between the layers.
• Combine cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in optional parsley, if desired. Sprinkle over top of spinach. Mix butter or margarine, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 50 minutes to one hour.

BAKED MAC & CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Place spinach in 1-1/2-qt. microwaveable casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with water. Cover with lid. Microwave on HIGH 2 min. or just until spinach is wilted; drain. Cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on medium heat. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with whisk until blended; cook and stir additional 1 min. Add 2% Milk VELVEETA and 1-1/4 cups shredded cheese; cook and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add macaroni; mix lightly.
• Squeeze spinach dry. Return to same casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with macaroni mixture.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through, topping with remaining shredded cheese after 10 min.

SPINACH BEEF MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, cook the beef, onions, carrots and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, pepper and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. , Drain macaroni; add macaroni and spinach to beef mixture. Pour into two greased 3-qt. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

SPINACH MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425.
• In medium sized pot, over medium heat, melt butter.
• Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes.
• Pour in the hot milk and cook until thickened.
• Add the spinach, cheese, seasonings, horseradish and mustard.
• Mix well.
• Combine with the cooked pasta.
• Place in a greased cassarole dish.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until bubbling.

SPINACH MAC 'N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium non-stick pan. Add the leeks, stir well, then cover and cook for about 6 mins or until softened.
• Put the flour and mustard powder in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the milk. Pour into the pan with the leeks and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened. Continue stirring over a low heat while the pasta cooks. It will seem thick but will be diluted later.
• Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water, then stir the paste into the sauce. Add the spinach and 1-11/2 ladlefuls of the water to make a spoonable sauce, then stir over the heat until the spinach has wilted. Stir in most of the cheese and taste for seasoning.
• Heat the grill. Tip the pasta mixture into a casserole dish, arrange the tomatoes over the top and scatter over the remaining cheese. Grill for 5-10 mins or until bubbling and golden.

LIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400F.
• Spray 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup of the milk and flour until smooth.
• In heavy medium saucepan, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups milk over medium heat until steaming.
• Add flour mixture; cook 2-3 minutes or until sauce boils and thickens, whisking constantly.
• Remove from heat; stir in cheddar cheese until melted.
• Stir in cottage cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Cook spinach according to package directions; drain.
• Rinse under cold running water; squeeze out excess moisture.
• Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling lightly salted water 4-5 minutes or until not quite tender, stirring often.
• (Macaroni will continue to cook while baking.) Drain; rinse with cold water.
• Drain again.
• In large bowl, stir together cheese sauce and macaroni.
• Spread half of the macaroni mixture in baking dish; spoon spinach over top.
• Spread remaining macaroni mixture over spinach layer; sprinkle with wheat germ.
• (Dish can be made to this point and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.) Bake 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden.
• TIP*If you can't find wheat germ, substitute an equal amount of Parmesan cheese, cracker crumbs or bread crumbs.
• VARIATION: To make Southwestern Macaroni and Cheese with Peppers, substitute 1 cup grated pepper Jack cheese for 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
• Omit the nutmeg.
• Add 1 (4 1/2-oz.) can chopped mild green chiles, 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro and dash cayenne pepper to cheese sauce.
• Omit spinach.
• Instead, cook 2 cups thawed frozen pepper stir-fry vegetables in 1 teaspoon olive oil 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
• Replace spinach with pepper mixture.