.quinoa spinach mac and cheese.

so good.



so so good.

i'm on a quinoa kick. mainly, it is because i bought a bag of it and might as well use it. when i ran across this recipe on tasty kitchen, i thought i'd take it for a spin.



although making this yummylicious recipe takes a little more effort than boxed mac 'n cheese, it is quite worth it.



the texture and taste combined is terrific and i felt like a culinary superstar! (insert molly shannon superstar move here)



now it is your turn. you probably have most of the supplemental ingredients already in your pantry. if you buy a bag of quinoa to make this, you'll surely have enough left over to make these quinoa burgers another night.



dig in!


quinoa spinach mac and cheese
borrowed from tasty kitchen

what you need
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
1-½ cup Whole Milk
2 dashes Freshly Grated 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

what you do
Preheat oven to 350 F.
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.

In a large bowl mix together the cooked quinoa, cheese sauce and spinach.

Transfer the mixture into a casserole dish (I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet). Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

In a small bowl mix together the butter and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake on 350 F until bubbly, about 20 minutes.