The last time I made Broccoli Cheddar Cheese soup, the bag of shredded cheddar cheese had a recipe on the back from KraftFoods.com for Spinach-Bacon Macaroni and Cheese. Since I had spinach from Bountiful Baskets that still needed to get used, I decided this would be the dish to make. I also had bacon on hand from making the Shredded Brussels Sprouts earlier this week, and Barilla Whole Grain Medium Shells were on sale recently for $1, and with a coupon, it made it $.50 for the box. This was delicious. My 2-year-old kept telling me how good it was and thanking me, and my 5-year-old, who was skeptical at first, tried it and liked it.
Spinach-Turkey Bacon Shells and Cheese
Serves 6
What you need:
3 cups whole grain medium shells, uncooked
2 cups fresh spinach, slightly chopped
4 slices turkey bacon
2 Tbsp. flour
1-2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, if needed
1-2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, if needed
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook shells as directed on package, adding spinach in to cook for the last minute. Drain. Return to pot.
Cook bacon in large skillet. Remove bacon to paper towels; save drippings in pan. If you don’t have a lot of drippings, since turkey bacon usually doesn’t, melt 1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly; cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened.
Stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and the Parmesan cheese; cook and stir until melted. Chop bacon and add to cheese mixture.
Pour cheese mixture over shells and spinach; mix well. Pour into a greased 2-1/2 qt casserole. Top with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the cheese on top is melted.
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