Creamy Spinach Mac and Cheese



As I mentioned in a previous post, this is what we had to end our fast, one of the most popular comfort foods.  After not eating for a day, we wanted something that would fill us up without having to eat a lot.  Pasta does that for us.

I made quite a few changes in this recipe as I went along.  I added some plain yogurt to make it creamier.  I used to use sour cream for this but I think that this is probably healthier.  I had baby spinach instead of curly and I had Cheddar instead of  Gruyere.  I used shells instead of elbows because that is what I had which fits into  my "use what is here" attitude.

Creamy Spinach Mac and Cheese  adapted from Everyday Food, April 2011

Ingredients:







2 tablespoons olive oil
1 minced yellow onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, room temperature
ground pepper
1 bunch baby spinach, trimmed, washed, and cut roughly
5 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 pound Brown rice shells macaroni, cooked according to package instructions


Method:

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.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 yogurt and mix in to sauce.  Simmer for an additional 2 minutes until the yogurt is warm.

Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 3 minutes.

 Add cheese and stir until melted, about 2 minutes. 

Eat and enjoy!

Add cooked macaroni and stir to combine. Serve immediately. 

Eat and enjoy:


I was playing and ended up with this artistic rendering,  if you can call it that.

Comments

  1. Melissa French - The More With Less MomJuly 18, 2014 at 6:32 PM

    This looks so good, and better for you than the regular mac n cheese. Thank you for sharing. Hello from Fight Back Friday.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ~ Nee ~July 18, 2014 at 8:10 PM

    Hi Chaya , love your twist on the mac and cheese , quick , different and healthy . I am glad to be following your blog . Thanks so much for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. TeaLadyJuly 21, 2014 at 9:45 PM

    Oh, this does look good. And double comforting with the spinach. Have to try this one.

    ReplyDelete

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