Kale Mac & Cheese

In these early weeks of our CSA, I'm trying to avoid getting stuck in the rut of only eating salads to use up all of the greens. So, to complement our salad eating I found this recipe to use the kale we received in our CSA basket. Greens like kale are best to save for last in a CSA basket, because they are heartier and will hold up in the fridge for longer.

Overall we enjoyed this mac and cheese, hearty greens are an easy thing to add to a classic recipe like this and the two kinds of cheese was nice. Casseroles like this are also great for us to make on Sunday because then we have plenty of leftovers for the work week. One of our hopes with the CSA basket was that it would force us to eat out less and focus on cooking at home like we used to way back in the day when we first moved in together (check out my posts from July 2014 and on for some of those adventures). 

Similar Recipes Using Kale: Baked Kale & Bacon Macaroni and Cheese; Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese; and Irishman Mac and Cheese.

Recipe from the Sweet Potato Chronicles.

Ingredients:

-4 cups pasta (whatever shape you prefer)

-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

-2 tablespoons flour

-1/4 cup vegetable stock

-1 1/2 cups milk (I use 1% milk)

-1 cup shaved cheddar cheese

-1 1/2 cups shaved Monterey Jack cheese, divided

-1 teaspoon dijon mustard

-1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 cup chopped kale

-1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 and cook the pasta according to package directions (times will vary depending on which shape you choose).

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Next add the flour, whisking continuously, to form a roux (the base for the cheese sauce).

Add the vegetable stock and the milk and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened (stir occasionally). Add the mustard, cheddar cheese, and 1 cup of the Monterey jack cheese and lower the heat.

Stir until the cheeses have melted and all ingredients are combined. Finally, stir in the kale, nutmeg, and salt. Stir for 1-2 minutes, until the ingredients are combined.

Pour the cooked pasta into a 9x13 baking dish and mix in the cheese sauce until the pasta is well coated.

Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack over the top and finish the top with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden.