Mac 4

Spinach and mushrooms make this macaroni and cheese a bit unusual, but delicious too!
Try to buy blocks of cheese rather than the pre-grated/crumbled ones. My rule of thumb: the less processed a food is, the better it tastes.


Ingredients:

- 2 cups of elbow pasta, cooked
- 1 cup of 2% milk (I cut calories where it doesn't impact the taste)
- 10 button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water
- 1 spring of scallion cut
- 1/4 cup of each of these cheeses, freshly grated: Parmesan, feta and mozzarella
- 2 tablespoons of bleu cheese 
- 2 slices of bacon, crumbled
- 6 saltine crackers, crumbled (again cutting the calories)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- Black pepper, garlic powder an paprika to taste.

On a sauce pot melt the butter, add black pepper and garlic powder. Cook it for a few seconds. Add the milk and pasta water, bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, layer the following in a deep baking dish:
- Cooked macaroni
- The cheeses
Mix it together.

Add the spinach, scallions and mushrooms, mix it.

Pour the hot spiced milk over the macaroni/veggie mix.

Layer:
- Bacon, saltines and parmesan cheese.

Finish it off with some black pepper and a sprinkle of paprika.

Bake it for 12 minutes on a 375 degree oven. 

Serves 2 people or 2 meals.