Recipe: Mushroom & Spinach Macaroni and Cheese

Mushrooms appear in my veggie box with somewhat regularity and I always find ways to use them by adding them to pasta sauces, throwing them in stir-fries or curries or cooking them up for breakfast (which is B’s favourite way to eat them!). I rarely make them the star of the dish though, so when I got a large bag full of little button mushrooms in my last veggie box delivery I decided it was time to change all that, and went hunting for a mushroom focused recipe to try out!

I thought about making a big batch of this delicious looking pasta sauce on Oh My Veggies to pop in the freezer, but then I came across a Garlic Mushroom Macaroni Cheese recipe on Amuse Your Bouche and I was sold! Becca always has the most delicious looking recipes and is a great resource for all kinds of vegetarian delights!

I followed the steps for Becca’s original recipe, but made a few changes to the ingredients list, so here goes!

Ingredients List

  • 300g pasta
  • 5tbs butter (divided)
  • Small onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 200g mushrooms
  • 1.5 cups spinach leaves
  • 2tbs plain flour
  • 1 cup almond milk (or dairy milk if you drink it)
  • 1 cup grated cheddar
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup vegetarian parmesan

IMG_6284

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 200C
  2. Cook the pasta until al dente then leave aside
  3. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic
  4. Wash or peel the mushrooms and then chop into medium sized pieces
  5. Heat 2tbs of the butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat and cook the onion, garlic and mushrooms for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally
  6. Add the spinach and cook until wilted
  7. Push the mushroom mixture to the side and melt 2tbs butter in the space created
  8. Add the flour and stir until combined, then slowly add the milk whilst continually stirring
  9. Add the mushrooms mixture to the milk mixture and stir in the cheddar until melted
  10. In a separate pan melt the final 1tbs butter and stir through the panko crumbs until they are coated
  11. Put the pasta in a baking dish and stir through the mushroom sauce
  12. Sprinkle the top with the buttered panko and the grated parmesan and put in the oven for 20 minutes
  13. Enjoy!

It was a hearty and delicious meal, although I think it’s probably one to add to the ‘eat occasionally’ list due to the amount of cheese involved! It reheated really well so would be an excellent option for a meal to make ahead of time, and just pop in the oven before you need to eat it. This could be the turning point for mushrooms and I – no longer will they just be relegated to a filler position in my meals!

IMG_6309

IMG_6318

 

6 Comments on Recipe: Mushroom & Spinach Macaroni and Cheese

  1. Elizabeth
    November 11, 2013 at 12:19 pm (10 years ago)

    I like some veggies in my mac and cheese, I can only manage to eat occasionally due to the high cheese count too.

    Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 11, 2013 at 8:19 pm (10 years ago)

      Yeah, the addition of veggies helps trick me it’s at least vaguely healthy! But it’s definitely a sometimes meal!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 11, 2013 at 8:19 pm (10 years ago)

      Everything tastes better with spinach and garlic! Well, anything savoury I guess!

      Reply
    • I Spy Plum Pie (admin)
      November 17, 2013 at 8:10 pm (10 years ago)

      Thanks Melissa! Sometimes a cheesy comfort dish is called for I think!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge