Healthiest Baked Mac and Cheese

Ever since my trip to Tahoe, I’ve been craving macaroni and cheese. On Friday my friends and I stopped in Auburn for dinner, and when I tried to order a steaming plate of mac and cheese, you’ll never guess what happened. They ran out! I was very sad about that. Perhaps them running out was a blessing in disguise, because yesterday I was inspired to satisfy that craving by whipping up the healthiest macaroni and cheese I could think of. For the macaroni I used black bean rotini!

For those of you who don’t know, macaroni and cheese is my absolute favorite food, but I don’t usually have it very often. This one is the baked version of my broccoli and kale mac and cheese. It contains broccoli, kale, and like I mentioned above, organic black bean rotini (told you I was on a black bean craze).

This was my first time trying to bake the macaroni and cheese and using black bean rotini. It was a tasty healthier alternative! The black bean rotini is a bit chewier and stickier than your average elbow pasta.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups black bean rotini (boiled in water and olive oil for about 8 minutes)
• 4 cups spinach (chopped)
• 3 cups broccoli florets (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 3/4 1% milk, divided
• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit

1. Boil water with olive oil and then cook the black bean rotini for about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Sautee the minced garlic with olive oil in a medium pot. Add a pinch of salt and the chopped broccoli. Cook until it is tender and a vibrant green. Add the chopped spinach and cook until it is wilted.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until fully combined. In a small pot, heat the rest of the milk (1 1/2 cups) and stir until it is simmering. Add the flour mixture to the pot and continue stirring for about 3 minutes (no more clumps).
4. Remove the pot from the heat and add the Parmesan and Cheddar cheese. Stir until they are melted.
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the pot of veggies. Add the black bean rotini and mix until they’re all coated with cheese.
6. Scoop the macaroni and cheese into a large baking dish or individual ones. Sprinkle Panko bread crumbs over the tops and bake for about 20 minutes (until the tops are a golden brown). Then remove from the oven and enjoy!

It tasted great when I had it hot out of the oven for dinner yesterday and as leftovers for lunch this afternoon. It’s a very fibrous, protein, and vitamin filled macaroni and cheese. It’ll satisfy your cravings while also filling your body with healthy nutrients. It was totally worth the burn/battle scar I received taking them out of the oven.

Anyways, since I was M.I.A this weekend, below is a photo of Squaw Valley from the top of one of the runs from this weekend. Evidence that I really was out embracing the great outdoors. Breathtaking, right?