I must admit, I've been a bit quinoa-ed out for a while now… I tend to reach for farro when I'm in need of a super grain. So you know this recipe from Tasty Kitchen must be good if it has me jumping back on the quinoa bandwagon. Thanks to the quinoa, this mac and cheese is lighter and packed with more protein than the original, and thanks to all the cheese and butter, you won't miss the pasta one bit. It's creamy, crunchy, and even has some vegetables hiding in there… and it's still toddler approved.
Quinoa Spinach Mac and Cheese
recipe from Tasty Kitchen Blog
Ingredients
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1-½ cup whole milk
2 dashes nutmeg
¼ teaspoons salt
8 ounces (weight) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 cups cooked quinoa (cooked according to package instructions)
2 bunches fresh baby spinach
for the topping:
½ cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
¾ cups Panko bread crumbs
method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan add 3 tablespoons of butter and flour and heat over medium heat. Whisk continuously until a paste forms. Whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium/high and bring to a boil whisking the whole time. Stir in the nutmeg, salt and cheddar cheese. When cheese sauce is smooth remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl mix together the cooked quinoa, cheese sauce and spinach.
4. Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish (I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet). Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
5. In a small bowl mix together the butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly, about 20 minutes.