Kale Poblano Mac N Cheese Recipes

MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH KALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1 3/4 cups of the cooking water and then drain. Set aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the kale and garlic and cook, stirring, until the kale begins to wilt. Add 1/2 cup of water, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale wilts and is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Carefully wipe out the saucepan. Bring the half-and-half, cayenne and nutmeg to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Gradually whisk in the Cheddar and Havarti cheeses, a handful at a time, until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the cooked pasta and reserved cooking water to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the kale and season with additional salt and pepper. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

HOMEMADE MAC AND CHEESE WITH KALE

Steps:

• Clean your kale by rinsing it in cold water and then removing the leaves from the stems. Chop into small pieces.
• Heat olive oil on medium in a cast iron skillet or another large skillet (with a lid). Add onion and garlic and cook for approximately 90 seconds.
• Add kale and coat with oil and mix with garlic and onion. Let saute for another minute, add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix, and then add the stock. Cover and let braise in stock for about 10 minutes, or until most of the stock has cooked off.
• Meanwhile, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add noodles and boil until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to prevent sticking.
• When your kale is done, remove from skillet and set aside.
• WIth skillet on medium, add butter and as it melts, add the flour and whisk to create a roux.
• Slowly add the milk, 1 cup at a time, and whisk it to incorporate it all before adding more milk and half and half.
• Let the sauce cook, whisking constantly to prevent from burning, until it begins to thicken. Add cheese, 1 cup at a time, and whisk to combine. Reduce to medium-low.
• Let the sauce thicken and then start adding the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking until it is all fully melted before adding more cheese. Repeat for 2 cups of cheese.
• Once cheese sauce is thickened, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and mustard and mix. Add kale and mix well. This will ensure that the kale is more evenly distributed in the dish.
• Once the kale is well mixed in, then add the cooked pasta and mix well.
• This is where you can stop and set aside if preparing in advance. Or you can serve it now, as is. Otherwise, pre-heat oven to broil and set rack to top third.
• Add last 1/2 to 1 cup of cheese to the top of skillet and add to oven to melt and crisp up cheese for 3-5 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy!

CREAMY BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH KALE AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring constantly, until the mushrooms are lightly browned in spots and softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the kale, garlic and 1/2 cup of water, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan with the back of a wooden spoon. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is wilted but still crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.
• Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (The mixture will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Gently fold in the reserved vegetables. Season to taste with additional salt if needed. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Toss the bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl and sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.

VEGAN POBLANO MACARONI AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Add the cashews to a small bowl and cover with hot tap water to soak for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the potatoes and carrot in a medium pot with 4 cups water, salt liberally, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve 1½ cups of the cooking liquid, then drain.
• While the potatoes and carrots cook, bring 8 cups water in a medium pot to a boil over high. Salt liberally, add the elbow pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
• While the potatoes and pasta cook, char the chiles: Place the poblano chiles and jalapeño, if using, directly on the grate of a gas burner and turn the heat to high. Cook, using heatproof tongs to turn the chiles so they blister and blacken on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Remove the stems and seeds and discard, then slice the chiles and set aside a few for garnish.
• Working in batches if necessary, blend the potatoes, carrot, cashews, chiles, nutritional yeast and the reserved potato cooking water until smooth. Taste and season with salt. Add the sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Turn the heat to low and let sit for about 5 minutes so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Serve hot, garnished with the reserved chiles.

KALE & POBLANO MAC N' CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook macaroni until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain and pour into 8x8 baking dish. Set aside.
• In a saute pan, add 1 tablespoon oil olive over medium heat. Cook and stir chopped onion and poblano pepper until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in kale and garlic and cook until kale softens and wilts, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle in the flour. Stir until you have a roux. Slowly whisk in almond milk and cheese. Add salt and pepper.
• Pour cheese mixture over pasta. Bake 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CREAMY POBLANO MAC & CHEESE

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomato and garlic to the saucepan and cook and stir for 1 minute. Season with the salt and black pepper.
• Stir in the soup and milk and heat to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Stir in the macaroni. Sprinkle with the cilantro.