If you love kale, you will absolutely adore this Alpine Cheddar and Kale Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese recipe. The pairing of tender kale with our delicious Alpine Cheddar makes for a super creamy and scrumptious mac and cheese that’s also quick and easy to make. Any way you look at it, this recipe is a winner. Try it out and feel free to share it with your fellow kale lovers on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. And why not share it with those who may not be too keen on kale too – this recipe may just win them over!
Ready to make this super dish? Cook your pasta according to the package directions (fusilli, rotini, and macaroni all work well) and drain well. In the meantime, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat and then add shallot to cook, stirring until it’s slightly softened, about 1 or 2 minutes. Make a roux (a mixture of fat – especially butter – and flour used in making sauces) by sprinkling flour over the shallot and stirring until the flour is dissolved into the butter. Whisk in milk until combined, then whisk in Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened. Remove sauce from heat and stir in cheddar until completely melted. Stir the hot cooked pasta, sauce, and kale together in a pasta pot and enjoy.
Need another great mac and cheese recipe with vegetables? You’ll love all the fabulous vegetables in our Grilled Vegetable Mac & Cheese – with summer squash, zucchini, red and green bell peppers, a portobello mushroom, and a vidaila onion, it’s guaranteed to satisfy your craving for mac and cheese AND nutritious veggies! Did you know that Cabot is owned by 800 farm families who work hard to ensure that all of our products are made using only the finest ingredients? That’s why we’re confident that you’ll love this stovetop cheddar mac and cheese recipe. We’d love to hear what you thought so, please rate and review it after trying it out!
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Ingredients
Salt for pasta water plus ¼ teaspoon, divided
13 to 14 ounces dry pasta, such as fusilli, rotini or macaroni, whole-wheat if desired
2 tablespoons Cabot Unsalted Butter
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1½ cups fat-free milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper, white if desired
6 ounces Cabot Alpine Cheddar, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
3 cups packed chopped raw kale, steamed for 2 minutes
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Directions
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil.
PREPARE pasta according to package once water boils. Drain well.
MELT butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring until the shallot is slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Make roux by sprinkling flour over the shallot and stir to dissolve flour into the butter. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until all of the flour is incorporated into the milk.
SCRAPE along edges of the saucepan with a heat-proof spatula make sure no roux remains in the corners. Whisk in Dijon, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
REMOVE the sauce from the heat. Stir in cheddar and whisk until completely melted into the sauce.
STIR the hot cooked pasta, sauce and kale in the pasta pot. Serve immediately.
Calories: 280
Serving size 1 cup:
% Daily Value
Total Fat: 9g
14%
Saturated Fat: 5g
25%
Cholesterol: 30mg
10%
Sodium: 300mg
13%
Carbohydrates: 36g
12%
Dietary Fiber: 2g
8%
Protein: 12g
Calcium: 205mg
20%
5 out of 5 stars (based on 4 reviews)
Amy
March 19, 2020
Great recipe! I turned it into a casserole, topped with bread crumbs, olive oil pecorino cheese and baked until crispy on top. Love that it's not pounds and pounds of cheese. Will make again!
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December 14, 2016
This is the first time I have made macaroni and cheese from scratch. I made a double batch for a potluck. It was easy to make and very tasty. Not too heavy. I will make it again.
GG
August 17, 2016
Had a bumper crop year of kale so thought I would try this recipe. You can never have too many go to kale recipes! Great flavor with Alpine Cheddar. This is a keeper and will grace our table many more times.
P.S. The Kale Salad with Cheddar recipe is the bomb!
Denise
May 4, 2016
Cabot has the best recipes! This mac and cheese twist is one our favorites especially bc I can get the kids to eat some greens!
