Health Issues Common In Women

Baked Mac 'N Cheese With Spinach And Mushrooms: A Nutritious, Immune System-Building Comfort Food For Winter

20 January 2016 by admin

It's common for winter comfort foods to be heavy, starchy and not terribly healthy. This mac 'n cheese recipe is rich and warming, just like standard comfort foods, but the spinach filled center is packed with immune system-boosting vitamin A, and the garlic and mushrooms help build up the immune system as well.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat sharp cheddar
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 8 ounces whole wheat macaroni
• 16 oz spinach
• 2 cups mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs

Process

1. Make the pasta. Put a pot of water on to boil, then add whole wheat macaroni. Cook until the macaroni is tender, then strain out the water.
2. Make the sauce. Mix together equal parts milk and cheddar and heat until the cheddar is melted. Add a couple spoonfuls of flour and stir until the sauce is thick, like the consistency of brownie batter. If the sauce seems thin, add more cheese. If the sauce seems too thick, add more milk. When the sauce seems just right, add paprika and a cupful of cottage cheese and stir until the cottage cheese melts. Add salt to flavor and leave the sauce on very low heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Make the filling. De-stem the spinach and slice the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat until the edges of the mushrooms have just begun to brown. Lower the temperature and add the first handful of spinach. Stir the spinach until it begins to wilt, then add another handful. Do this until all the spinach has been cooked.
4. Mix the cheese and pasta. Combine the cheese and pasta together in a bowl and stir until the macaroni is thoroughly coated.
5. Put it all together. Grease a casserole dish and line the bottom of the dish with about half of the macaroni and cheese. Spread the spinach and mushroom filling over the layer of macaroni and cheese, then add the remaining macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and bake in the oven at 450 degrees until the dish is bubbling. Remove and serve immediately.

Enjoy! With the immune system-building garlic, spinach and mushrooms, a healthy dose of this recipe can help you fight off winter illnesses like colds and the flu. Are you looking for more immune boosting winter recipes? Talk to a reputable nutritionist today. He or she can tell you about the many different ways to eat right in winter while boosting your immune system and enjoying comforting foods that you love.

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