Kale mac and cheese is the perfect antidote to the clocks going back and the shortening days. There is a voice in our mind that pipes up at this time of year that says: enough of the summery dinners – give me some hearty, warming comfort food.
So, here we have a healthy twist on macaroni and cheese packed with iron-rich kale. It is easy to make and easily storable. You can cook as a one-pot family dish or as individual portions ready for freezing.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Skill Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 250g bag Kale, thick stalks removed
- 250g macaroni
- 1 Leek, sliced
- 25g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 350ml semi skimmed milk
- 150g Cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 tsp English mustard
Kale mac and cheese – method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
- Cook the kale in a large pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and cool under cold water, squeeze out the excess liquid. Add the macaroni to the boiling water and cook for 9-10 minutes, adding the leek for the last 2 minutes. Drain well and return to the pan.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Off the heat gradually blend in the milk, then bring to the boil, stirring until thickened. Stir in 100g cheese and the mustard, season well.
- Stir the sauce into the macaroni with the kale and transfer to an ovenproof serving dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes until golden.
For more easy midweek dinners like kale mac and cheese, visit our Food and Drink channel. Thanks to Discover Great Veg for this recipe.
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