30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni & Cheese

day 30

gruyère

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach
By Sara Foster, Side-Tracked

We make this dish at Foster’s Market almost every day when the weather turns cool. There are endless variations such as country ham, chicken, chorizo, artichokes and roasted red peppers. This is one of my favorites because the cheese defines the dish here. Adding the spinach is my idea of getting your greens in, which makes it a perfect one-dish meal.

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach

Creamy Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
1 pound penne (or any bite-size pasta shape such as ziti)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the dish
1 large onion, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 cups (12 ounces) grated Wisconsin Gruyère Cheese
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Wisconsin Parmesan Cheese
2 5-ounce bags baby spinach (about 10 loosely packed cups)
1 tablespoon hot sauce (such as Texas Pete® or Tabasco®)
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add pasta and cook al dente according to the package directions. (It is usually 1 or 2 minutes less than the cooking time on the package.) Drain the penne using a colander; put drained pasta in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly about 4 minutes until the flour is slightly cooked.

Slowly whisk in the milk and cream and bring to a low boil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Gruyère, Parmesan and spinach until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts. Remove from the heat and stir in the marjoram and hot sauce. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat the pasta.

Spoon the pasta into the prepared baking dish, scraping all the sauce from the bowl, and place in the oven to bake, about 45 minutes or until  bubbling around the edges and slightly brown on top. Remove the pasta from the oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

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Labels: Gruyère, Macaroni & Cheese, Parmesan, Recipe, Wisconsin Cheese

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One Response to “Creamy Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach”

  1. 30 Days of Mac ‘n Cheese | Foster's Market says:
    February 20, 2010 at 9:53 am

    [...] ‘n Cheese Blog using Wisconsin cheese in conjunction with National Cheese Lovers Day. On the Wisconsin Milk Marketing site you can find my favorite recipe for this all time favorite, along with thirty other bloggers. [...]

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Welcome to 30 Days, 30 Ways a blog brought to you by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. We've collaborated with 30 different food bloggers to create 30 inventive recipes for the classic dish — Macaroni & Cheese.

Check back often — we'll post a brand new recipe each day for a month!

    past entries

    >> day 1
    Wisconsin Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 2
    Macaroni & Cheese with Spanish Peppers

    >> day 3
    Italian Macaroni & Cheese with Pancetta

    >> day 4
    Macaroni & Cheese with Braised Leeks, Wisconsin Asiago and Parmesan Breadcrumbs

    >> day 5
    Macaroni & Cheese with Red Pepper Volcano and Dinosaur Trees

    >> day 6
    Broccoli and Squash Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 7
    Wisconsin Artisanal Gouda & Fontina Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 8
    Mushroom-Herb Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 9
    Les Frères Macaroni & Cheese with Mushrooms

    >> day 10
    Macaroni & Cheese with Wisconsin Raclette

    >> day 11
    Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 12
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    >> day 13
    Blue Cheese Macaroni & Cheese with Mushrooms and Kale

    >> day 14
    Wisconsin Macaroni & Cheese Pizza

    >> day 15
    Spicy Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 16
    Crab & Asiago Macaroni and Cheese

    >> day 17
    Deli-Style Macaroni & Cheese with Wisconsin Muenster, Mustard, Gherkins and Caraway Rye Crumbs

    >> day 18
    Baked Caprese Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 19
    BLT Mac ‘n’ Cheese

    >> day 20
    Spicy Adobo Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 21
    Spiced Apple Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 22
    Aged Gouda Macaroni & Cheese with Smoked Paprika

    >> day 23
    Black Truffle Mac ‘n Cheese

    >> day 24
    Spinach Artichoke Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 25
    Cedar Grove Smoked Salmon and Dill Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 26
    Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Sage, Gingersnap-Pecan Crust

    >> day 27
    Raclette Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 28
    Roasted Cauliflower Macaroni & Cheese with Caraway Havarti

    >> day 29
    Gluten-Free Parmesan Macaroni & Cheese

    >> day 30
    Creamy Macaroni & Cheese with Spinach

    >> day 31
    Thank You!

    >> day 32
    Farro “Mac” and Swiss with Broccoli

    >> day 33
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