Fire Roasted Mac and Cheese with Feta
User Reviews
4.9
21 reviews
Excellent
Fire Roasted Mac and Cheese with Feta
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Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.
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Ingredients
- 1 1 pound orzo pasta
- 3 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 3 tablespoon flour
- 2 ½ 2 ½ cups milk
- 10 10 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- 4 4 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
- ¾ ¾ cup feta cheese
- 1 ½ 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14-ounce) 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 4 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, cook the orzo pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain (but don't rinse) and set aside.
- While the pasta is boiling, prepare the cheese mixture. In a 2- or 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until smooth and let the mixture cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly (this helps get rid of the floury taste).
- Gradually stir in the milk, whisking constantly, and let it cook at a very gentle simmer for 4-5 minutes until it has thickened considerably.
- Off the heat, stir in the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, one handful at a time, making sure each addition has melted before adding the next. Stir in 1/2 cup of the feta cheese (it may not melt all the way - that's ok).
- Stir in the oregano, salt and pepper. Add the undrained diced tomatoes and the spinach. Stir the mixture well to allow the spinach to wilt down a bit.
- Stir in the cooked orzo. Spread the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup feta cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cheese: I normally stay away from reduced fat cheese because of the taste/texture but ended up using a lowfat sharp white cheddar cheese (from Cabot) because it was all I could find and it worked really, really well. The texture might have been slightly different had I used a full fat cheese but we were none the wiser and it saved a few calories.
Nutrition Information
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Serving
1 Serving
Calories
718kcal
(36%)
Carbohydrates
70g
(23%)
Protein
34g
(68%)
Fat
33g
(51%)
Saturated Fat
21g
(105%)
Cholesterol
103mg
(34%)
Sodium
1207mg
(50%)
Fiber
4g
(16%)
Sugar
10g
(20%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Serving | |
| Calories | 718kcal | 36% |
| Carbohydrates | 70g | 23% |
| Protein | 34g | 68% |
| Fat | 33g | 51% |
| Saturated Fat | 21g | 105% |
| Cholesterol | 103mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 1207mg | 50% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
21 reviews
Excellent
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