I really like making casseroles. I feel like they have a bad rep sometimes… like the word ‘casserole’ means bland and yucky. So I am always on the hunt for delicious casseroles 1) to increase their popularity, and 2) to minimize dirty dishes (only one pan to clean after dinner)! The other reason I love anything that gets baked in the oven? It gives me time to wash all of my making-dinner dishes and utensils. Who doesn’t love a clean sink and counter tops before dinner?!
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6
coarse salt & ground pepper
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1/3 c. pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 t. dried oregano
8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. flour
2 c. whole milk
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
I tossed in some cooked cubed chicken that I had in the fridge when I stirred in the feta cheese. You can add any cooked meat or canned tuna for added protein.
1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Set a large pot of salted water to boil and grease an 8″ square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, and oregano.
2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions; drain pasta and return to pot. Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Add flour to garlic & butter and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, 3 minutes.
4. Remove milk mixture from heat; whisk in 4 ounces of feta. Stir in tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Pour mixture over pasta; stir to combine. Pour pasta mixture into dish and top with 4 ounces of feta.
5. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese begins to brown, 20-25 minutes.
**Each serving has about 411 calories, 21 g fat, 14.5 g protein, 41 g carbohydrates, 1.5 g fiber**
On An Even Kiel 