Super-Green Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe
Introduction
This super-green mac ‘n’ cheese is a vibrant twist on a classic comfort dish, packed with nutritious spinach, broccoli, and peas for extra freshness. Creamy and cheesy with a crunchy, herby topping, it’s perfect for a satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
- 1 litre semi-skimmed milk
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 175g mature or extra mature cheddar, grated
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 100g spinach, fresh or frozen
- 400g macaroni
- 1 broccoli (about 300g), broken into florets
- 100g frozen peas
- 3 slices white bread (about 125g)
- 1 small bunch of basil leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 25g mixed nuts or seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and almonds) for the topping
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/gas mark 7. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and flour. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking continuously until the sauce is smooth and thickened, about 3-4 minutes. It’s okay if there are a few lumps as they will blend later. Season well and stir in the Dijon mustard, cheddar, parmesan, and spinach.
- Step 2: Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the broccoli is soft. Drain thoroughly.
- Step 3: Transfer half of the cooked broccoli to the cheese sauce and use a hand blender (or stand mixer) to blend until smooth, creamy, and bright green. If needed, loosen the sauce with a splash of milk.
- Step 4: Stir the blended cheese sauce with the cooked pasta, remaining broccoli, and peas, then transfer everything to a large baking dish.
- Step 5: For the topping, combine the bread, basil leaves, olive oil, and half of the nuts or seeds in a food processor. Pulse until you get coarse, green crumbs. Scatter the crumbs over the pasta, then sprinkle with the remaining nuts or seeds.
- Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the topping is golden and crunchy and the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot and enjoy.
Tips & Variations
- For a fun twist, roll any leftover cold mac ‘n’ cheese into walnut-sized balls. Coat them in flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs, place on a roasting tin, drizzle with sunflower oil, and bake at 220°C (200°C fan)/gas 8 for 10 minutes. Shake the tin then bake for another 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This mac ‘n’ cheese also freezes well for up to three months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven at 180°C until heated through, stirring occasionally.
How to Serve
Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.
FAQs
Can I use other types of pasta?
Yes, you can substitute macaroni with other short pasta shapes like penne or fusilli. Just adjust the cooking time according to the pasta package instructions.
Is it possible to make this dish vegetarian or vegan?
This recipe is vegetarian as written, but to make it vegan, use plant-based milk, vegan butter, and dairy-free cheese alternatives. Nutritional yeast can add an extra cheesy flavor.
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Super-Green Mac ‘n’ Cheese Recipe
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Super-green mac ‘n’ cheese is a vibrant twist on a classic comfort food, packed with nutritious greens like spinach, broccoli, and peas. The creamy cheese sauce, made with mature cheddar and parmesan, is blended until smooth and bright green. Topped with a flavorful, crunchy basil and mixed nut crumb, this dish is perfect for a wholesome family meal or a cozy dinner. It can also be frozen for convenience.
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce
- 1l semi-skimmed milk
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 175g mature or extra mature cheddar, grated
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 100g spinach, fresh or frozen
Pasta and Vegetables
- 400g macaroni
- 1 broccoli (about 300g), broken into florets
- 100g frozen peas
Topping
- 3 slices white bread (about 125g)
- 1 small bunch of basil leaves
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 25g mixed nuts or seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and almonds), for the topping
Instructions
- Prepare Cheese Sauce: Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and flour. Bring to a simmer over medium heat while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens smoothly, about 3-4 minutes. Season well, then stir in the Dijon mustard, grated cheddar, parmesan, and spinach.
- Cook Pasta and Vegetables: While the sauce simmers, cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the broccoli is soft. Drain thoroughly.
- Blend Sauce and Combine: Transfer half of the cooked broccoli into the cheese sauce. Use a hand blender or stand mixer to whizz the sauce until it is smooth, creamy, and bright green. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it with a splash of milk. Stir in the remaining broccoli, cooked macaroni, and frozen peas.
- Prepare Topping and Bake: In a food processor, blend the bread slices, basil leaves, olive oil, and half of the mixed nuts or seeds to create coarse green crumbs. Spread this crumb mixture over the pasta in a large baking dish. Scatter the remaining nuts or seeds on top. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the topping is crunchy and the cheese sauce is bubbling.
- Optional Leftover Use: For leftover mac ‘n’ cheese, roll into walnut-sized balls, coat with flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs, then bake at 220C/200C fan/gas 8 for 10 minutes. Shake the tin and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden and crisp.
Notes
- The sauce may have some lumps before blending, which will be smoothed out with the blender.
- If you prefer a thinner cheese sauce, add more milk to loosen after blending.
- Use fresh or frozen spinach and peas as per availability.
- Leftover mac ‘n’ cheese can be transformed into crispy mac ‘n’ cheese balls for another meal.
- This dish freezes well for up to three months in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: mac and cheese, green mac and cheese, broccoli mac and cheese, spinach, cheesy pasta, vegetarian comfort food, baked mac and cheese, healthy mac and cheese
