- 1
Ingredients
- 1 pound Elbow Macaroni
- 3 cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup packed fresh Spinach
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 tablespoons Flour
- 4 cups grated White Cheddar Cheese
- 2 cups chopped Broccoli Florets
- 1 cup Peas
Preparation
Step 1
step 1
ingredients:
1 pound Elbow Macaroni
instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Cook pasta in salted water for about 3 minutes less than package directions call for, until al dente. Reserve half a cup of the pasta water and strain.
step 2
ingredients
3 cups Whole Milk
1 cup packed fresh Spinach
instructions
While the pasta is cooking. Place the milk and spinach in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
step 3
ingredients
3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
4 cups grated White Cheddar Cheese
2 cups chopped Broccoli Florets
1 cup Peas
instructions
In a large pot melt the butter and then add the flour, whisking continuously over low-medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until sauce is gently bubbling and starting to thicken. Add reserved pasta water and cheese and whisk until melted. Stir in the pasta, broccoli and peas.
step 4
ingredients
instructions
Transfer to a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the pasta is set.
Helpful Tips:
1. Save some of the pasta water, and add it to the Mac & Cheese so it stays moist while baking.
2. You can make the full recipe, freeze it in separate portions, and reheat it during the week for an easy weeknight meal.
3. Adding spinach to the sauce makes it beautifully creamy, green and nutritious.
4. Choose fun-shaped macaroni to encourage your children to eat this nutritious meal.
5. By baking with macaroni with parchment paper, you can cut clean up time in half. To make clean up even easier, clean as you go rather than cleaning at the end of the meal.
6. New use for an ice cream scooper: Create perfectly sized cookies quickly by using an ice cream scooper to lay cookie dough on a sheet tray.
7. New use for an ice cube tray: Pesto should be everyone’s best friend. Freezing any sauce in an ice cube tray gives you individual portions at the drop of a hat.