Today’s post is a glorious dish that brings back a lot of memories and probably some familiar taste tickles to all adults, I am sure. Mac & Cheese is so good the classic way- smooth and creamy, with a crusty top and needless to say, a lot of cheese!
My version however tops it a little more with a healthy twist by adding spinach puree/soup. What was I thinking? Well! Honestly? They were leftovers but hey it turned out to be a success so I decided to post it on the blog.
You see now that I have touched 30 years of age, I am a bit (just a wee bit) more conscious about what I eat; and mac n cheese can really be quite a ‘sinful’ food for the grownups. However, once you add a wee bit of greens, it becomes self-comforting in a way. After all, it is a healthier version and of course, getting some greens into your child’s system is also a welcomed bonus.
First all of you will need the recipe for my spinach soup, which is very sublime on its own. But if you decide you want the classic mac & cheese, skip the spinach and follow the recipe as it is:
Here goes….
Ingredients: –
- 4 cups elbow macaroni
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- ¼ cup multi-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 400gms grated cheddar cheese
- salt (according to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp almond powder or bread crumbs*
- left over spinach soup (if using)
Method: –
- Cook the spaghetti in a large-sized pan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes.
- Drain & set aside.
- In a heated milk skillet, melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
- Quickly after add milk, salt, pepper & cheese. Stir to combine the ingredients. This should now look like a thick but smooth batter. Taste and adjust salt & pepper accordingly.
- In a baking dish, spread some olive oil or butter at the bottom.
- If using spinach soup, mix the macaroni into the soup and then place this in the baking dish.
- Pour in the batter from the skillet.
- Add some more cheese on top, if you like.
- Sprinkle lots of almond powder or breadcrumbs over the top.
- Pop it into a pre-heated oven for about 20minutes or until the top has browned a bit and you see bubbles on the side.
Enjoy!!!!