30-Minute Baked Mac & Cheese with Spinach
This baked mac and cheese with spinach is ready in just 30 minutes! A basic béchamel sauce with gruyere and cheddar cheese brings this rich and creamy mac and cheese recipe to life. It’s a terrific vegetarian dinner or side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb orecchiette pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 5 cups milk
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 2 cups gruyere cheese (8 ounces)
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (up to 2 tbsp )
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly butter a 9 x 13 or a 2 quart baking dish.
- Cook pasta until al dente, drain in colander and sprinkle with olive oil.
- Place milk in a microwave safe bowl and cook for about 2 minutes until it is warm. In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat and add flour, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes. Gradually add warm milk whisking until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick, about 10 minutes.
- Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 3 cups of cheese, reserving a cup for later, stir until melted. Add spinach, hot sauce, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Combine the pasta and cheese sauce and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Place half in the prepared pan and sprinkle with ½ the remaining cheese. Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese. Pour cream over the entire mixture and sprinkle with panko.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Video
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Warming the milk before adding it to the sauce will help it thicken quicker
- You can use any shaped pasta that you want
- If you want, you can use half-and half instead of cream
- You can use other hard cheeses
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 680kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 461mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2719IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 640mg | Iron: 2mg
