- For our first date, Marc and I had planned to go to a cute romantic restaurant, because that’s what you do on first dates, right? Unfortunately, the restaurant we chose turned out to be closed, so our first date was relocated from the cute and romantic restaurant to a local bar and grill that is known for their selection of whiskeys and a sandwich called The Big Easy. Classy. It turned out to be a great date though, and the conversation completely made up for the change in location.
- We decided to try again at the original first date restaurant for our one year anniversary. One of their signature dishes is macaroni and cheese, and Marc, being the carb lover he is (and with a little persuasion from me because I really wanted to try it), decided to go with it.
Marc knows I always like a challenge when it comes to cooking so when he was almost done eating/raving about the pasta he claims “I think you should try to make macaroni and cheese as good as this.” Challenge accepted.
So when I saw this recipe for Spinach and Artichoke Mac ‘n Cheese on another blog a couple of weeks later, I started making plans to make it that night. It is a Rachael Ray recipe and while I could really do without her raspy voice and annoying phrases, I have to admit that she really does know her food.
As for being better than the macaroni and cheese from the first-date restaurant? It’s hard to tell because it’s not your traditional macaroni and cheese, but this recipe was exactly what I was hoping it would be. I don’t even mind that I’ve been eating it for lunch all week and still have more in the fridge. I added chicken to it because I don’t really like a meal based around carbs and fat, and I think it rounded out the meal perfectly. Marc described it as “spinach and artichoke dip in a pasta.”
Spinach and Artichoke Mac ‘n Cheese
adapted from Rachael Ray
1 lb penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 (10 oz) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of water
1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts, quartered
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cup fontina cheese
1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.
In a medium to large pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown all the sides, cooking between 6-8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
In same pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the garlic and onion to pan and cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add flour to pan and toss onions and garlic to coat. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the wine and let wine cook down, for another minute. Add the milk to pan and bring to a simmer. Add the nutmeg, spinach, artichokes, salt and pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes. Then add 1 cup of each cheese and stir until melted.
Add chicken to mixture. Then pour the mixture over the cooked (and drained) pasta, and toss to combine. Add to casserole dish (about 9×13 inch). Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
To make this a vegetarian meal, just omit the chicken.
greensnchocolate
greensnchocolate
greensnchocolate
Hahah!! I feel the same way about her raspy voice and annoying phrases…. looks like she gave you a winner recipe though!
You cant go wrong with cheese!
Yum…I love spin/art dip and I love mac and cheese, so why wouldn’t I love this dish??? I need to make this.
As RR would say-Yum-o!!
This looks super yummy. I always love finding new ways to spice up mac and cheese.
yum! I’ve seen this on a few blogs and have been meaning to make it…your pictures have convinced me
Greg is insisting this be on the menu soon!(so of course, i told him to knock himself out!:)
I agree, this doesn’t really compare well to a traditional mac and cheese, but yes – it was delicious! Thanks for participating in Saturdays with Rachael Ray!
OMG, looks delicious! I love both mac & cheese and spinach artichoke dip so this is perfect! Thanks for posting!