The ultimate mac 'n cheese
I wrote this before I learned about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. I don’t have words for this moment yet, but I do need comfort. And maybe you do, too. So I’m posting this anyway.
If mac ‘n cheese is on the menu, I order it every time. I can’t help myself. It’s my comfort food of choice.
I remember my oldest cousin stirring far too much milk into the boxed kind when she babysat us. Still, I couldn’t resist even soupy Kraft mac ‘n cheese. And Stouffer’s, well, that was a whole other level. When my dad wasn’t looking, my mom sneaked us the goods. She turned on the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking to crisp and blister the top layer. I rocked back and forth waiting for the first bite to cool only to lose my patience and burn my tongue. And sure, the plastic we cooked it in might someday kill me. But all was right with the world for those few indulgent minutes.
Given my penchant for ordering mac ‘n cheese, it’s fair to say I’ve tried many a version. The very-expensive-cheese kind, the breadcrumb kind, the kitchen-sink kind, the I-can-make-this-in-my-sleep stovetop kind... So I’m always a little surprised at how few versions satisfy me now in this phase of life. They’re either too rich, gloppy, or soft, or they’re just plain flavorless. How can cheese and butter be flavorless? I don’t know, but I’ve experienced it more often than I’d like to admit. And there’s nothing quite like the letdown that comes with flavorless mac ‘n cheese: It’s unexpected even when predictable. And just when I need that warm stability, too.
So I tried Half Baked Harvest’s Spinach and Artichoke Mac-and-Cheese Bake with a mix of optimism and skepticism. It’s the mac ‘n cheese of my dreams: The recipe instructs us to smash crackers. And this at a season when I need a place to let out my aggression. It’s crispy and chewy and soft. Creamy but somehow not heavy. And filled with the flavor of the best spinach artichoke dip. You know, the kind where you want to eat spoonfuls but—so as not to seem gluttonous—settle for mounds on chips. Only here, we all get the spoonfuls we deserve.
I wanted to increase the protein, so I added a can of cannellini beans. And I traded Monterey Jack cheese for the Cheddar because it’s what I had on hand. True to form, I also added lemon zest and parmesan cheese to the topping because sometimes more is more.
I hope all your childhood dreams come true when you taste the first bite.
Servings: 8-10 Time: 35 minutes active + 20 minutes baking Via: Adapted from Half Baked Harvest’s Super Simple
I’ve had a negative connotation with scalded milk, but this recipe showed me its glory.
I like to eat this with a Caesar salad for the tart contrast.
1 pound box of pasta (e.g., rotini, shells, penne)
2 cups whole milk
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
6 tablespoons salted butter (+ some for greasing pan), softened and divided
3 cups Monterey jack cheese, grated and divided
Kosher salt to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 cups spinach, packed and chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, smashed
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter 9x13 baking dish.
Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil in a large saucepan (large is key here). Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, cube the cream cheese, and grate the jack cheese.
After the 8 minutes, add the milk and cream cheese to the pasta and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente and the cream cheese has melted (5-7 more minutes).
While that cooks, chop the spinach and artichokes, and drain the beans.
Remove pasta from heat and stir in 2 cups of the Monterey jack cheese and 3 tablespoons of the butter.
Season with salt, red pepper flakes, and Black pepper.
Stir in the spinach, beans, and artichoke hearts.
Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup jack cheese.
Take a deep breath and smash the crackers into a medium bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, lemon zest, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Use your hands to combine. Sprinkle the crumbles over the mac ‘n cheese.
Bake until bubbly and golden brown—about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.