I'm not going to lie: I've made mac & cheese from a box plenty of times for my family. But when I do, I buy whole wheat varieties, and I often add "mix-ins" like beans and salsa, peas and tuna, or leftover chicken and sauteed mushrooms. And sometimes I make mac & cheese from scratch, because it's easy and it gives me more control over the ingredients. For this mac & cheese dinner, I turn to whole wheat pasta, convenient frozen spinach, a low-fat sauce made with three flavorful cheeses, and marinated artichoke hearts, which elevates the flavor even more.
Ingredients
One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 cups dried whole wheat elbow pasta
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 bunch green onions, cut into thin rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
One 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 ounces Gouda cheese (use smoked Gouda if you can find it), shredded (1 generous cup)
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Drain the spinach in a colander. Press with the back of a large spoon to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
Cook the pasta according to package directions until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Raise the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, flour, and pepper, and whisk constantly until smooth, 1 minute. Whisk the milk, broth, and mustard slowly into the flour mixture. Raise the heat and bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the artichoke hearts, Cheddar cheese, Gouda, ⅓ cup Parmesan, and spinach until well combined. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Spread the mixture evenly in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and bake until bubbly and the top turns golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Notes
Bonus nutrients: 36% calcium, 22% iron, 90% vitamin A, 15% vitamin C.