Mac & Cheese with Cauliflower and Spinach
I’ve eaten a lot of mac & cheese since Matt and I went to the States and it’s become a serious guilty pleasure of mine. This recipe is a little twist on your traditional version with the addition of roasted cauliflower to provide a crunchier texture to go alongside the creamy macaroni. The spinach adds a great additional flavor to the cheesy sauce and gives your mac & cheese a little pop of color.
I’d recommend using a nice mature cheddar for the basis of your cheese sauce, as it’ll pack a good punch however mac & cheese is versatile enough to work with most cheeses so if you have a favorite in mind, use it! Parmesan is a great cheese for sprinkling over the top as it will go a gorgeous golden brown color when baking.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Serving size: 286g
Calories per serving: 382
Fat per serving: 18.6g
Ingredients
- 220g macaroni pasta
- 30g butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 325ml milk
- 100g cheddar, grated
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2/3 cauliflower head, cut into bite size florets
- 40g spinach
- handful of breadcrumbs
- 30g Parmesan, grated
Method
- Preheat your oven to 360 Fahrenheit / 180 Celcius
- Begin by boiling your macaroni according to it’s instructions. As it’s a small pasta it should only take 6-7 minutes. Once cooked, drain and leave to the side.
- Heat a large saucepan on a low heat and add the butter. Then throw in your minced garlic and let it cook away for a couple of minutes.
- Then add your flour, a tablespoon at a time and combine with the butter using a wooden spoon.
- Next, you need to add the milk slowly, whisking as you go, to ensure the sauce remains smooth and lump-free.
- Next, remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly stir in most of the cheddar, leaving a small handful. Then do the same with the Parmesan, leaving just enough to sprinkle over your dish at the end.
- Now stir in your macaroni, cauliflowe, spinach, and paprika, ensuring that it is all covered in your delicious cheese sauce. The spinach will look like a lot at first but will wilt down very quickly.
- Now pour your mac & cheese into an oven-proof dish and sprinkle over your breadcrumbs, cheddar and Parmesan.
- Finally, put your scrumptious mac & cheese into the oven and leave for around 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden and crispy.
Paprika is in the ingredients but nowhere in the instructions does it say to add?? At what stage should it be added?