Weekend Cooking

Weekend cooking to me can be slower and more involved than cooking during the week. I like to make more homey, hearty dishes like big soups, lasagnas or eggplant parmigiana or Sunday's. So on Sunday night when we had some friends over for a casual dinner I decided to make a favourite childhood recipe. The kind of thing that I always looked forward to my mum making and today conjures up memories of home and warmth. This recipe for a Greek style macaroni and cheese was something my mum would make in a big white french oven pot in large quantities. It would sit in the spare laundry fridge and be pulled out over a few nights to be devoured. My sisters and I loved the combination of crunchy croutons, cheese and pasta, all of our favourite ingredients with a bit of spinach. When I moved across Australia about 8 years ago this recipe was one of the many that  my mother carefully filed in a folder in case I missed the smells and tastes of home. This recipe was originally published in Cooking Light, September 1996  (I am not sure how much of a variation this recipe is from the original).

              Greek Macaroni & Cheese

              1/3 cup self raising flour

              2 1/4 cups low fat milk

              3/4 cup crumbled fetta cheese

              1/2 cup parmesan cheese

              85 grams light cheese (cheddar works well)

              6 cups cooked pasta (I use a small shell shape)

              1/2 teaspoon salt

              1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & excess water removed

              1/2 cup croutons

              1 tablespoon softened margarine

              Cooking oil spray

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius
2. Place flour in a large saucepan. Gradually add the milk stirring with a whisk until it is blended (you don't want any lumps). Cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes or until it is thick, stirring constantly. Add the cheeses; cook for a further 3 minutes or until the cheeses have melted, keep stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta, salt & spinach.
3. Coat a casserole dish with the cooking spray and then spoon the mixture into the dish. Combine the crushed croutons with the melted margarine sprinkle over the mixture. Bake at 180 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

This dish can together so quickly and was then in the oven and on the table. In the midst of this and catching up with good friends I completely forgot about taking a photo. I only remembered at the end of the night when putting leftovers in the fridge.