Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese.
No problem eating greens with this creamed spinach mac and cheese!
I am serious. A whole huge bunch of fresh spinach. Baked into the loveliest mac and cheese pot that you ever will see. It’s everything you want and more, plus it is full of vegetables. There is NO getting around this one.
Who needs a bowl of mac and cheese with extra pow? ME! And you. Definitely you.
Secret time? I never had creamed spinach growing up. My mom and grandma never made anything like it – in fact, it wasn’t until my 20s that I had it. Obviously, I avoided it like the plague if I was offered it prior to that. My distaste for vegetables was off the charts and even creamed spinach, with what appeared to be a silky bechamel, was off limits for me.
The only thing that got me eating spinach was when it was drenched in hot bacon dressing.
And let’s be real – that dish is amazing.
But creamed spinach? No way! I feel like I totally missed out on plates of comfort food by avoiding it most of my life.
No longer! I’m here for all the creamed spinach. I’m even putting it in your mac and cheese.
I shared this on instagram a few weeks ago and many of you have been anticipating the recipe! It’s finally here, and you can find me making it on my instagram stories later today too!
Okay so here’s the deal. You’re basically going to make creamed spinach (like, a bunch of it) and then throw in tons of cheese. And tons of pasta.
Then sprinkle it with crispy crunchy fried onions. Or breadcrumbs!
Then bake it until super melty and cheese and hot.
And you just WON’T BELIEVE how fabulous it is.
This is such a great side dish or comforting meal, it has lots of green for Saint Patrick’s Day and it’s super satisfying and warming. Food is love all the time, but especially right now.
The crunchy topping is my favorite part. I like to use those crispy onions you may still have hiding in your pantry from the holiday season (use ’em up! they’re going to expire soon!) but you can also use breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, heck – even pretzel crumbs!
Just look at that perfection! Cheesy, melty, soft but sturdy noodles, tons of green! I love it so much. There is no better time to eat our feelings.
Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese
Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound short cut pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons flour
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 12 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 12 ounces fontina cheese, freshly grated
- 6 ounces white cheddar, freshly grated
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ cup crispy onions or breadcrumbs, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Heat a large oven-safe pot over medium-low heat and add the butter. Stir in the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened.
- At this time, you can also cook the pasta in another pot. You can cook it before too - just make sure to give it a quick spritz of olive oil so it doesn't stick together.
- Toss all the grated cheese together.
- Stir the flour into the onions to create a roux. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it becomes golden in color and starts to smell nutty. Slowly stream in the milk while stirring constantly. The mixture will begin to come together and thicken. Stir in the nutmeg.
- Add in the spinach - it will seem overwhelming at first, but it will quickly cook down! Stir until it cooks down and softens.
- Once the spinach cooks down, stir in almost all of the cheese (reserve a bit for topping) and the pasta. Toss it together over and over until it is combined.
- Top with the remaining grated cheese. Top with crispy onions. Bake for 35 to 30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I mean I’m pretty sure this is what they mean by eat your greens.
99 Comments on “Creamed Spinach Mac and Cheese.”
Bless you for giving us comfort food during this time!
thanks kelly!
Sounds yummy! Quick question…is it 24 ounces of fontina? You have 12 ounces of fontina listed twice.
ah no, it’s 12!! i fixed it :) thanks susan!
Do you think I can use an alternative milk? I have Soy or macadamia nut milk. Neither are sweetened.
yes! i definitely do think that will work.
If only the fontina cheese I found didn’t break the bank…wow. Doesn’t help that the shelves are bare. I couldn’t even find oatmeal toady!!! On the other hand the lemon pudding cake I saw on instagram was delicious
I’ve got more kale in the yard than I know what to do with, so I’ll use it in this 😁
Omigosh…..this looks sinful!
This was really really good and comes together SO QUICKLY! Delicious with a light salad and I’m guessing it will make great leftovers.
This looks so delicious.
Can you please tell me if I can replace butter with something healthier, 4 tbsp of butter that’s just too much for me?
Thank you
Good quality butter is good for you. Look into healthy fats.
What type of pasta did you use, it looks super yummy. Can’t wait to try!
I would love to know the type of pasta you used!
looks like Vesuvio pasta :-)
hi guys! it’s trottole from target! simply balanced brand. :)
I spent all Sunday googling this pasta type… Its called trottole and it is sold at Target!
https://www.target.com/p/organic-trottole-pasta-16oz-simply-balanced-8482/-/A-14632232
Sorry. Found the name in another comment! Tx
no prob! i find it at target!
This was DELICIOUS and toddler approved. My son even ate some spinach!!! So happy I stumbled onto your blog!!
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Perfect Saturday, quarantine comfort food! The whole family (kids 7 and 3) LOVED it. Thank you!
This was perfect for lunch and got rave reviews from the whole family! I used regular spinach and a mix of Gruyere, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. I also added in quite a bit more salt, maybe about 2 tsp. I used panko breadcrumbs on top as well. I think next time I might try to mix the spinach with kale or chard for variety.
Ditto to the other comments of your contribution to create cozy comfort in these times of distress. Hubs and I had this last night, and it was wonderful. I “thirded” your recipe, thinking it would be ample for 2 hungry tummies, and truth be told, it was more than ample. Next time I’ll quarter your recipe for 2. Both the sauce and pasta were made earlier in the day. About 2 hours before baking, I combined the room temperature sauce and noodles, assembled, topped with reserved cheese and crispy onions, and placed in 2 gratin dishes. While reveling in your dish, we forgot everything, other than being in the moment, and safe in our home. Thank you for this!
I have made this twice now…different mixture of cheeses based on what I had on hand, a little extra garlic and a little more nutmeg. Once with spinach (and once without spinach for grandkids)…delicious and easy either way. For the topping I used Panko bread crumbs with a little melted butter, smoked paprika and garlic powder. Perfect.
Hi. What is the pasta called in the photo? Tx!
Do have any recommendations as far as a substitute for fontina cheese? It’s not exactly easy to find where I live. Also I was wondering if adding mushrooms would be tasty?
I used Gouda and it was delicious
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This was excellent! I shared with family and neighbors and everyone asked for the recipe. I used gluten free pasta – Tinkyada Elbow. I substituted the Fontina with Gruyere and used a mixed of cheddars along with the parmesan. I do think it needs more salt, but other than that… LOVE the recipe! Thank you!!
Is it possible to use ftozen spinach instead of fresh?
Any idea what the nutritional info for a serving (or 2) is ?
Hello! This looks delicious!! Just wondering if you used a dutch oven to cook this in?? And if not, do you think that would work?? Gonna try this this week!
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This looks awesome! I’m making it this weekend. Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
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Could gouda cheese be a good substitute for fontina?
yes you can use gouda!
Is there a gluten free pasta that would be suggested for this recipe? I want to make it, but don’t want the pasta to be mushy
This looks delicious!! Did you cook it in a dutch oven? If not – would a dutch oven work??
Thanks!
I used a dutch oven tonight when I made it, and it was delicious! :)
Would frozen spinach work with this recipe? Thanks
Is it 1 lb of dry pasta, then cooked? Or 1 lb of cooked pasta? Excited to try!
Can’t wait to try! Plan to add either diced ham or rotisserie chicken to recipe to make it a complete comfort meal! Thanks for the great recipe.
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Can I use thawed/drained frozen spinach? Thanks!
Thanks for this recipe. I made this tonight and subbed smoked Gouda and smoked provolone for the fontina because our grocery store didn’t have fontina. So delicious!
So so good! Next time I will need to cut the recipe in half. More than enough leftovers for me and babes!!
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It such a great meal for our Meatless-Mondays and it’s filling and goes really well with roasted potatoes.
This is sooo good! I made it earlier in the day and refrigerated it, then topped it with cheese and breadcrumbs and popped it in the oven for dinner. It was a hit!
Excellent!! I was just wondering if it could be made ahead :)
I don’t know what I did wrong, it was too cheesy! And I love cheese! The cheese didn’t really melt in with the sauce and so it ended up being really stringy and a little bit difficult to eat. Super bummed!
Halved the recipe since it’s just 2 of us. Baked in individual ramekins. (Two for today, two for later!) Delicious xmas eve side dish. Thank you!
What blue pan is used in this recipe? I have been trying to find the same one to buy! I love it!
it’s the le creuset braiser! i believe the color is matte mineral blue: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-braiser/?catalogId=79&sku=2690634&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Cookware%20%3E%20Dutch%20Ovens%20%26%20Braisers®ion_id=668460&cm_ite=2690634&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88X_BRDUARIsACVMYD87ffahCTyuTofqvT9pJEgBEpn0EBH8O7lw-dOJO443HaRb2AwdqvQaAhOsEALw_wcB
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Any idea of how many calories per servings the recipe is?
How many calories is it per serving and serving size as well?
Hi. It looks amazing. I have a question. The list of ingredients is adjusted to 8 servings or is there an error?
Thank you.
the recipe as listed can serve 8
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