by Sarah Steimer
There’s very little that’s healthy about mac and cheese – it uses tons of cheese, butter, flour and so forth. But pureed spinach at least throws a few extra vitamins into the mix. P.S. this is the reheated version, the original looked much creamier.
- 1/2 pound macaroni noodles
- olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 3 cups packed fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup milk (I used skim, had to cut back the fat somewhere!)
- 4 ounces white cheddar, grated
- 4 ounces fontina, grated
- salt and pepper, to taste
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a small saute pan. Add the onions and jalapenos, cooking until soft. Set aside.
Add the spinach and the hot water to a blender. Puree until smooth.
In a medium or large pot, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat for about 1 minute. Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the cheese, stirring until melted and smooth, followed by the spinach puree and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pasta, onions and jalapenos to the sauce, tossing until everything is well combined. Pour the mac and cheese into a 9-by-9 (or 8-by-8)-inch square baking dish.
At this point I actually covered the dish and refrigerated until I had it for dinner the next day, but you can cook it immediately.
Before serving, bake the mac and cheese, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the edges are browned.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Recipe adapted from: Heather Cristo Cooks
