We’ve upgraded a Thanksgiving favorite to include Georgia’s favorite greens – collards! Besides providing an extra dose of healthy green veggies, collard greens are naturally savory and fit right in with the creamy cheese sauce and crispy breadcrumbs.
This year, we fully support making all the comfort food this Thanksgiving, and while you’re at it, be sure to slip in as much Georgia Grown produce as possible to support our local farmers. We hope you’ll feel a little bit healthier as a bonus!
Ingredients
For the Macaroni and Cheese
1-pound elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
5 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons mustard (spicy brown, yellow or Dijon)
Salt & pepper to taste
½ pound cheddar cheese, grated
½ pound white American cheese, grated
4 cups collard greens, washed, stripped off stems and chopped into 2 inch pieces
For the Breadcrumb Topping:
1 ½ cups Panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
Salt & pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Set aside until ready to use.
In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, melt butter. Add flour to melted butter, whisking until smooth. Cook roux (butter/flour mixture) for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring often. Whisk milk into roux, whisking until smooth. Bring mixture just to a boil then add remaining ingredients, mixing until cheese melts. In a large bowl, combine elbow macaroni and cheese sauce, mixing well. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole with cooking spray. Pour macaroni mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over macaroni and cheese. Place pan on a cookie sheet and place in preheated oven. Bake 30 – 45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serves 12.
