Spinach Macaroni & Cheese

3 tablespoons whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni or penne

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

When I made this, my kids really liked it. It was not as "cheesy" as traditional mac and cheese, but the flavor was very good with the sweetness from the squash. I used fresh squash that I cooked and pureed. I also left off the bread crumbs.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

(From The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger)

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Good Old Mac & Cheese

This is very good. Heavy and fattening, but pretty easy to eat. Stratton would eat this every night for dinner if it was up to him.

Homemade Mac & Cheese
1 2/3 c. Cooked Macaroni
1 1/2-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. corn starch
1 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 T. butter
1/4 tsp. pepper12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 c. water
Mix all ingredients except for noodles and cheese. Boil for one minute. Then stir in 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese. Put in greased 9x9 or similar size pan. Top with 1/2 c. cheese (it's fine without more cheese on top). Refrigerate or bake immediately, 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.