Name: Macaroni cheese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 250g (8oz) fresh spinach leaves washed; 200g (7oz) dried macaroni; 1 leek (about 75g) washed and diced; For the sauce:; 150g (5oz) quark (a type of fat-free soft cheese); 100ml (3½ fl oz) home-made or reduced-salt stock; ½ tsp English mustard powder; 25g (1oz) reduced fat mature Cheddar cheese finely grated; 30g (2 tbsp) dried wholegrain breadcrumbs (made from half a slice of stale wholemeal bread or bread which has been baked till dry); 

Meal type: Main meal, Side dish

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

1. Whisk together all the sauce ingredients, except 1 tbsp of the grated cheese, and season with ground black pepper.

2. Cook the spinach, with no extra water, in a medium saucepan until just wilted. Remove, squeeze out all the excess liquid and chop. Spoon over the base of a shallow, heatproof dish.

3. In the same saucepan, cook the macaroni in boiling water for 7–10 minutes until tender. Add the chopped leek for the last 2–3 minutes of cooking time.

4. Drain the macaroni well and stir in the sauce ingredients. Spoon on top of the spinach and sprinkle with the reserved cheese and breadcrumbs.

5. Pop under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes until well browned. Serve immediately.

Cook’s tips

Use wholewheat pasta for a more nutritious meal that is also more filling.
“You can use frozen spinach. Measure out about 85g (3oz) and squeeze well to remove all excess liquid before using.”

Energy 1789kJ 423kcal 21%

Carbs 67.1g -

Fat 3.4g Low 5%

Saturates 1.5g Low 8%

Sugar 5.1g Low 6%

Salt 0.55g Low 9%

% = an adult's reference intake

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Ingredients

250g (8oz) fresh spinach leaves, washed

200g (7oz) dried macaroni

1 leek (about 75g) washed and diced

For the sauce:

150g (5oz) quark (a type of fat-free soft cheese)

100ml (3½ fl oz) home-made or reduced-salt stock

½ tsp English mustard powder

25g (1oz) reduced fat mature Cheddar cheese, finely grated

30g (2 tbsp) dried wholegrain breadcrumbs (made from half a slice of stale wholemeal bread or bread which has been baked till dry)

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Video: Macaroni cheese

Cook’s tips

Nutritional Information

Tried this at home?

Ingredients

Related Recipes

Southern-style chicken strips and corn salsa

Baked biryani chicken and rice

Curried green bananas (or plantains)

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