Lightened Up Spinach And Artichoke Macaroni And Cheese Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
• Add flour and cook, stirring 1 minute. Pour in milk and continue whisking until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese when melted.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in mozzarella and a cup of parmesan. Continue whisking until melted and smooth.
• Stir in spinach, artichoke, and cooked pasta and transfer to prepared baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup parmesan with panko and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni.
• Bake until bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• In a large pan, melt the butter. Add garlic, and spinach cooking until spinach is wilted. Add artichoke hearts.
• Slowly add the milk, salt, and pepper. Stir until milk is boiling.
• Add the macaroni, cooking until the milk coats the macaroni like a glaze.
• Add the cheddar and 2 cups (200g) of mozzarella, stirring until the cheese is completely melted.
• Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
• Bake for 7 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
• Enjoy!