Macaroni and Cheese with Mushrooms, Brie and Baby Greens

I had a bit of a mishap with the last box of veggies, They came with a nice bag of baby greens and another bag of arugula. Not really thinking about it, I tossed them into the refrigerator to use later. When I went to grab some of the baby greens for a salad a few days later, they were frozen! I had put them too close to the vent in the refrigerator. I checked the arugula, and it was in the same state. Frustrated, I tossed both back into the fridge, thinking I might find a use for them later.

I decided to make macaroni and cheese today, a kind of spiffed up version with brie and mushrooms. About halfway through the process, I remembered the frozen greens. I thought that maybe, if I chopped them up and wilted them into the macaroni and cheese, they might make a colorful and tasty addition to the otherwise vegetable free dish. So, in they went and viola! A new dish was born, and no innocent greens were wasted! I really like this version, and I might be hard pressed to not put greens in my next batch of mac 'n cheese. XD

Mac 'n Cheese with Mushrooms, Brie and Baby Greens

1 lbs macaroni

1/4 lbs cheddar

1/4 lbs brie

½ cup butter

1/2 lbs mushrooms

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp flour

1 cup milk

2 cups chopped baby greens and/or arugula

Prepare macaroni or other similar sized pasta according to package directions. While the pasta water is coming to a boiling, cut the mushrooms into thick slices and saute in 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Shred the cheddar and cut the brie into small chunks. Set the mushrooms aside in a small bowl.

In the same saucepan, melt the remaining butter over high heat, then add the garlic. Once the garlic is just beginning to brown, add the onions, salt and nutmeg. Stir occasionally and when the onions become translucent, turn off the heat. Whisk the flour into the milk, and slowly pour over the onions, stirring constantly. When the onions have been fully incorporated into the milk, turn the heat back on to medium and cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Add the onion mixture, cheese and greens to the cooked past and stir until the cheese is melted. Serves 5-7.

* To make the basic version of macaroni and cheese, you can omit the mushrooms, brie and greens. Increase the cheddar to 1/2 pound.