Baked Mac & Cheese with Kale

There is nothing in the world more comforting on a cold, blistery day than baked mac and cheese. It's so warming and delicious! And sometimes gives us upset stomachs, so it's reserved for special occasions (Thanksgiving, Christmas...that weird Sunday in November when it SNOWS!) I obviously have a longstanding love affair with kale, so I added it here. Plus, adding greens always makes me feel a little bit better about all the pasta and cheese! What you'll need:
For the cheese sauce
-1 1/2 tablespoons butter
-3/4 cup flour
-2 cups milk
-1 cup mozzarella cheese
-1/4 cup parmesan cheese
-A few sprinkles of chili powder

For the pasta
-4 oz. (half a box) noodles (I used rigatoni)
-A handful of kale, chopped and slightly steamed
-Parmesan cheese and pepper to top
1. To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Boil water and cook the pasta.
2. Next, make a roux. This is super easy and pretty hard to mess up...believe me I'm definitely not a chef and I can do it (though it's more than likely not technically correct!) First, melt a tablespoon and a half of butter in a saucepan. When it has melted, add the flour and whisk so it isn't lumpy.
3. Slowly add the milk while whisking.
4. After the milk has been stirred in add the mozzarella cheese. Next, add the parmesan and chili powder.
5. Combine the sauce, pasta, and kale. Pour into baking pan. Top with parmesan and pepper.
6. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Nate makes an amazing mac and cheese (the one reserved for real holidays!) so my slow Sunday afternoon one pales in comparison. BUT it's still delicious and wonderful, I promise. xx Courtney