Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms

Name: Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms
Prep time: 1 h 5 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 servings Freshly ground black pepper; 0 teaspoons cayenne pepper; 454 grams cream cheese, room temperature; 454 grams elbow macaroni; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 237 milliliters ounces Gruyere, shredded (about; 591 milliliters half-and-half; 2 liters large bunch of kale, stems discarded, roughly chopped (about; 12 servings Kosher salt; 59 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil; 237 milliliters panko bread crumbs; 710 milliliters ounces sharp Cheddar, shredded (about; 340 grams shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, sliced 1/4 inch thick

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Creamy Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kale and Mushrooms a try. This recipe serves 12. One serving contains 587 calories, 22g of protein, and 38g of fat. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 1 hour and 5 minutes. Head to the store and pick up shiitake mushrooms, gruyere, kale, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the cream cheese you could follow this main course with the Cream Cheese Dessert Wedges as a dessert.

Instructions

Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

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Oven

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

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Water

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Pot

Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.

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Water

Macaroni

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

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Sauce Pan

Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are lightly browned in spots and softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the kale, garlic and 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon.

Ingredients you will need

Shiitake Mushrooms

Mushrooms

Olive Oil

Garlic

Water

Kale

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Wooden Spoon

Frying Pan

Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is wilted but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.

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Pepper

Kale

Salt

Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

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Vegetable

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Bowl

Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty).

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Sauce Pan

Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes.

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Ground Cayenne Pepper

Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.

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Cream Cheese

Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.

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Cheese

Gruyere

Sauce

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Whisk

Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved vegetables. Season to taste with additional salt if needed.

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Water

Vegetable

Macaroni

Pasta

Sauce

Salt

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Sauce Pan

Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients you will need

Macaroni And Cheese