Greek Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe: #4825
March 04, 2012
Categories: Casseroles, Side Dishes, Cheese, Feta, Spinach, Greek, Mediterranean, Baby Shower, Birthday, Fathers Day, Game/Sports Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Mothers Day, Picnic, Potluck, Oven Bake, more
"I love Greek flavors, and this is a nice twist on the traditional macaroni and cheese. But using the right ingredients is what makes this dish work. Kalamata olives, Havarti cheese and fresh spinach really makes a difference in this recipe. This was a recipe from a contest I attended; and it was so good, I have to pass it along. Unfortunately, all is I can say it was contestant #27, they were identified by numbers. Since then, I have added capers and the tomatoes, but otherwise, I can take NO credit. But, it is a wonderful recipe and definitely worth trying."
Ingredients
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- SAUCE
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- TOPPING
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Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (404.3 g)
- Calories 753.2
- Total Fat - 31.7 g
- Saturated Fat - 15.3 g
- Cholesterol - 86.9 mg
- Sodium - 1275.1 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 73.4 g
- Dietary Fiber - 7.7 g
- Sugars - 7.6 g
- Protein - 48.2 g
- Calcium - 909.6 mg
- Iron - 5.2 mg
- Vitamin C - 11.4 mg
- Thiamin - 0.5 mg
Step by Step Method
Step 1
Pasta ... Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set off to the side.
Step 2
Vegetables ... As the pasta cooks, add the olive oil to a large pot along with the onion and garlic and cook 2-3 minutes on medium heat until tender. Then add in the olives, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and spinach - cook 1-2 minutes just until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and add to the cooked and drained pasta and toss to combine. Keep it covered to keep it warm.
Step 3
Sauce ... After you add all the vegetables to the pasta, put the pan back on. Add the remaining olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add in the flour and cook 1 minute to make a roux, keep stirring well to break up any lumps. Add the milk (room temperature; not ice cold) and whisk well to combine. The sauce will thicken in a couple of minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cheeses, a little at a time and continually whisking. Then return to the heat and add in the pepper, nutmeg and fresh dill. The Havarti will melt, but the feta will be soft but not completely melt. Once the sauce has heated back up, add to the pasta and vegetables and toss well to combine.
Step 4
Broil/Bake ... Add the pasta to a casserole dish sprayed with a non-stick spray. Top with the bread crumbs and a drizzle of olive oil. Broil on the second shelf down, so the panko crumbs don't burn for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. You can also bake it in a 350 degree oven on the middle shelf for 10-15 minutes.
Step 5
Note: You can also make this the night before and then reheat in a 350 degree oven. But make sure to under cook the pasta a few minutes, if this is the plan. It will take 30-40 minutes to warm up.
Tips
No special items needed.