Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
A creamy Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese that takes a page from everyones favorite game day food... spinach artichoke dip!
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shell pasta
- 1 quart milk
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, blotted dried and halved
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 7 cups cheese (I use a mixture of fontina, extra sharp cheddar and gruyere)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring so it doesn't burn or boil.
- Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot and add the flour to make a roux. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk to ensure the flour is cooked. After 2 minutes, stream in the hot milk and whisk, continuing to cook until thickened and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add the cheese, spinach and artichokes and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Pour into a baking dish.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine the melted butter with the panko crumbs, and sprinkle on the top of the baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top. Serve as needed.
Notes
A quick word on substitutions:
- When it comes to cheese in a baked mac and cheese, you want to use something that's going to melt REALLY well. I always dig a cheddar (extra sharp), fontina, gruyere, Monterey Jack or a Gouda! If you wanted to dot in a little brie, that would be excellent too.
- The panko topping... while it's absolutely delish and not to be missed in my opinion, it's optional. If you don't want the crunch, be my guest and feel free to leave it off.
- Add ins are also loose. If you wanted to also stir in some cubed and roasted butternut squash, sweet potato, broccoli etc... be my guest. So long as it's roasted or cooked ahead of time, it won't alter the baking time of this dish. You just might need a large vessel for baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 734kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 960mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 5530IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 699mg | Iron: 3mg