Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms
If you want to add more American recipes to your recipe box, Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms might be a recipe you should try. This recipe serves 12. One serving contains 610 calories, 23g of protein, and 38g of fat. For $3.16 per serving, this recipe covers 33% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. 54 people found this recipe to be yummy and satisfying. It works well as a main course. It is brought to you by Foodnetwork. Head to the store and pick up bell pepper, panko bread crumbs, cream cheese, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 1 hour and 5 minutes. Overall, this recipe earns a super spoonacular score of 93%. Similar recipes include Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Impossibly Creamy Baked Sausage Macaroni & Cheese, and Macaroni and Cheese – home made macaroni and cheese is a comfort food that is hard to beat. You can put away the pre packaged macaroni and cheese at the store.
Servings: 12
Preparation duration: 15 minutes
Cooking duration: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces Gruyere, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 large bunch of kale, stems discarded, roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
Kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup panko bread crumbs
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about 3 cups)
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Equipment:
oven
pot
sauce pan
wooden spoon
frying pan
bowl
whisk
baking pan
Cooking instruction summary:
Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are lightly browned in spots and softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the kale, garlic and 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is wilted but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved vegetables. Season to taste with additional salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Step by step:
1. Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
4. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
5. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are lightly browned in spots and softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the kale, garlic and 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is wilted but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
7. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
8. Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty).
9. Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.
10. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
11. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
12. Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved vegetables. Season to taste with additional salt if needed.
13. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese.
14. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
covered percent of daily need
