Green Macaroni and Cheese

I have been biting my tongue for months and months and months and months.

But I finally get to spill the beans, and I-AM-SO-FREAKING-EXCITED-I-CAN-BARELY-STAND IT! Pant, pant, pant….

I wrote a book. A real live, big-fat book. And it’s going to be published this coming Spring!

Green Macaroni and Cheese

I didn’t mean to hide it from you- It was more one of those paranoid, “it’s not done till it’s done” kind of things, you know? But if anyone I know has seen me in the past year and noticed that I looked particularly haggard (seriously) or only wearing yoga pants for most of last Spring and part of the Summer (recipe testing doesn’t bode well for skinny jeans) now you know that this is what I was up to!

Filling pages with tried and true recipes, photo’s and hoards of entertaining advice. I wrote my readers a love letter in the form of this book, and I CAN’T WAIT to share it with you!! (OK, I will stop screaming at you in all caps).

As the publishing date gets closer, I will share more details and little sneak peaks, but until then, basically I couldn’t hold the secret any longer.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

I also wanted to give a huge thank you to you guys, my very faithful and wonderful readers who made this book possible. You guys are the very best, and I am thankful to each and every one of you.

That’s why I am celebrating this wonderful news with my favorite comfort food- revamped. Macaroni and Cheese. Only it’s green….

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Green Macaroni and Cheese. Really good Green Macaroni and Cheese- I swear! Fresh spinach is what gives it the gorgeous color, without a lot of leafy taste! Basically my husband and kids who are purists when given the opportunity loved it- so that’s saying something…

To make this Green Macaroni and Cheese, this is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. **Before draining pasta, remove ½ cup of boling water for the spinach)

In a small pan, melt the butter and add the onions and jalapeno. Let them gently cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

In the jar of a blender, add the 6 cups of spinach and the boiling water. You probably need to use a spoon to push the spinach down. Blend to a fine, bright green puree.

In the pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat about 1 minute.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the cheese and stir and stir until melted, very smooth and thickened.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the spinach puree and stir until smooth. Season to taste with Kosher salt.

Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese

Pour the pasta into the pot of sauce, and add the onions and jalapeno and toss until everything is well combined.

Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese

Pour the macaroni into a 9x13x2” baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until golden around the edges.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Serve Hot!

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe: Green Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • -1 lb macaroni noodles
  • -2 Tablespoons butter
  • -1 yellow onion, minced
  • -1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • -6 cups packed fresh spinach
  • -½ cup boiling water
  • -½ cup butter
  • -½ cup flour
  • -2 cups milk
  • -8 ounces white cheddar, grated
  • -8 ounces fontina, grated
  • -Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. 2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. **Before draining pasta, remove ½ cup of boling water for the spinach)
  3. 3. In a small pan, melt the butter and add the onions and jalapeno. Let them gently cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Set aside.
  4. 4. In the jar of a blender, add the 6 cups of spinach and the boiling water. You probably need to use a spoon to push the spinach down. Blend to a fine, bright green puree.
  5. 5. In the pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat about 1 minute.
  6. 6. Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
  7. 7. Add the cheese and stir and stir until melted, very smooth and thickened.
  8. 8. Add the spinach puree and stir until smooth. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
  9. 9. Pour the pasta into the pot of sauce, and add the onions and jalapeno and toss until everything is well combined.
  10. 10. Pour the macaroni into a 9x13x2” baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until golden around the edges. Serve Hot!

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

 

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Categorized: Pasta
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Green Macaroni and Cheese

I have been biting my tongue for months and months and months and months.

But I finally get to spill the beans, and I-AM-SO-FREAKING-EXCITED-I-CAN-BARELY-STAND IT! Pant, pant, pant….

I wrote a book. A real live, big-fat book. And it’s going to be published this coming Spring!

Green Macaroni and Cheese

I didn’t mean to hide it from you- It was more one of those paranoid, “it’s not done till it’s done” kind of things, you know? But if anyone I know has seen me in the past year and noticed that I looked particularly haggard (seriously) or only wearing yoga pants for most of last Spring and part of the Summer (recipe testing doesn’t bode well for skinny jeans) now you know that this is what I was up to!

Filling pages with tried and true recipes, photo’s and hoards of entertaining advice. I wrote my readers a love letter in the form of this book, and I CAN’T WAIT to share it with you!! (OK, I will stop screaming at you in all caps).

As the publishing date gets closer, I will share more details and little sneak peaks, but until then, basically I couldn’t hold the secret any longer.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

I also wanted to give a huge thank you to you guys, my very faithful and wonderful readers who made this book possible. You guys are the very best, and I am thankful to each and every one of you.

That’s why I am celebrating this wonderful news with my favorite comfort food- revamped. Macaroni and Cheese. Only it’s green….

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Green Macaroni and Cheese. Really good Green Macaroni and Cheese- I swear! Fresh spinach is what gives it the gorgeous color, without a lot of leafy taste! Basically my husband and kids who are purists when given the opportunity loved it- so that’s saying something…

To make this Green Macaroni and Cheese, this is what you do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. **Before draining pasta, remove ½ cup of boling water for the spinach)

In a small pan, melt the butter and add the onions and jalapeno. Let them gently cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Set aside.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

In the jar of a blender, add the 6 cups of spinach and the boiling water. You probably need to use a spoon to push the spinach down. Blend to a fine, bright green puree.

In the pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat about 1 minute.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the cheese and stir and stir until melted, very smooth and thickened.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Add the spinach puree and stir until smooth. Season to taste with Kosher salt.

Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese

Pour the pasta into the pot of sauce, and add the onions and jalapeno and toss until everything is well combined.

Green Macaroni and Cheese Green Macaroni and Cheese

Pour the macaroni into a 9x13x2” baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until golden around the edges.

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Serve Hot!

Green Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe: Green Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • -1 lb macaroni noodles
  • -2 Tablespoons butter
  • -1 yellow onion, minced
  • -1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  • -6 cups packed fresh spinach
  • -½ cup boiling water
  • -½ cup butter
  • -½ cup flour
  • -2 cups milk
  • -8 ounces white cheddar, grated
  • -8 ounces fontina, grated
  • -Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. 2. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente (about 6 minutes). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. **Before draining pasta, remove ½ cup of boling water for the spinach)
  3. 3. In a small pan, melt the butter and add the onions and jalapeno. Let them gently cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Set aside.
  4. 4. In the jar of a blender, add the 6 cups of spinach and the boiling water. You probably need to use a spoon to push the spinach down. Blend to a fine, bright green puree.
  5. 5. In the pot that you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until smooth and cook over low heat about 1 minute.
  6. 6. Add the milk and stir until very smooth. Simmer about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
  7. 7. Add the cheese and stir and stir until melted, very smooth and thickened.
  8. 8. Add the spinach puree and stir until smooth. Season to taste with Kosher salt.
  9. 9. Pour the pasta into the pot of sauce, and add the onions and jalapeno and toss until everything is well combined.
  10. 10. Pour the macaroni into a 9x13x2” baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until golden around the edges. Serve Hot!

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 12

 

Recipe by Heather Christo (http://heatherchristo.com)