Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I love mac and cheese, but don't love how bad for you it is, so I searched on Cooking Light and found a recipe for Gouda and Spinach Mac and Cheese. I wanted to use some cheddar too, so I modified it a bit. It was pretty good, but not as creamy as I would have liked. Next time I would probably add more milk and cheese...but I guess that would take away from it being light! Oh well, maybe mac and cheese is one of those things that just shouldn't be light =)



Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 ounces gouda, shredded
6 ounces cheddar, shredded (I used 2% milk light cheese)
5 cups coarsly chopped spinach, or 1 box frozen spinach, thawed
4 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
2 cups herbed croutons, crushed
melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, salt and pepper, stirring constantly with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 2 minutes). Add cheeses, stir until melted.

Add spinach and macaroni to cheese sauce. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with croutons and drizzle on melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly.

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