Spinach Artichoke Mac & Cheese
Saturday, July 13, 2019
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It's no secret that we LOVE all things dip and dip-related. We've done pretty much every variation we can think of, from spinach & artichoke bagels to spinach & artichoke chicken. This twist on mac & cheese might just take the cake though—the cream cheese makes for an EXTRA-creamy cheese sauce.
YIELDS:
10 SERVINGS
PREP TIME:
0 HOURS 20 MINS
TOTAL TIME:
1 HOUR 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
1 lb. pasta shells
3 tbsp. butter, plus 2 tbsp. melted butter, plus more for greasing
4 tbsp. cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 c. milk (preferably whole)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 c. (8-oz.) blocks cream cheese, cut into cubes
3 c. shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided
2 (10-oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 (15-oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 c. panko bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a 9"-x-13" baking dish. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Pour in milk and continue whisking until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer until slightly thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until melted.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in mozzarella and 1 cup of Parmesan. Continue whisking until melted and smooth. Stir in spinach, artichoke, and cooked pasta and transfer to prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan with panko and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over macaroni.
Bake until bubbly and golden, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.