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One Pot Baked Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese.
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Short-cut pasta
- Whole milk
- Package of cream cheese
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and ground pepper
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Fresh baby spinach
- Marinated artichokes
- Ritz crackers
- Garlic powder
Kitchen Supplies
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Large saucepan
- Medium mixing bowl
You know those fallback recipes? The ones you make over and over again? Well, this One Pot Baked Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese is mine. It’s the easiest and best mac-and-cheese recipe. It uses just one pot, and the ingredients and methods are simple. My trick is to first boil the pasta in just enough water to start the cooking process, then add milk and cream cheese. That means there’s no boiling and draining the pasta, and no fussing around with making a roux either. Plus the cream cheese creates a light and creamy sauce without having to add any additional flour-like in a béchamel.
What’s really great about this recipe is just how adaptable it is. When my brothers are around, I omit the veggies, but I include a few chipotle peppers in adobo, and I use half pepper jack and half cheddar cheese. It’s one of their favorites!
Looking for other easy one pot pastas? Here are my favorites:
One Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta Bake
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
One Pot Creamy Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Lastly, if you make this One Pot Baked Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Baked Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 817 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing
- 1 (1-pound) box short-cut pasta, such as macaroni
- 2 cups whole milk (see Note)
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Ground cayenne pepper
- 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) jar marinated artichokes, drained and roughly chopped
- 1½ cups crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve) (about 1 sleeve)
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.2. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes. Stir in the milk and cream cheese and cook until the cream cheese has melted and the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes more. 3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheddar and 3 tablespoons of the butter. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in the spinach and artichokes. If the sauce feels too thick, add ¼ cup of milk or water to thin it.4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar.5. In a medium bowl, stir together the crackers, the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, and the garlic powder. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the mac and cheese.6. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Note: Have a little extra milk or water on hand. Once you’ve added everything, you can decide whether you’re happy with the consistency. If you need to thin the sauce out a bit, simply add more liquid.
This post was originally published on October 30, 2020
This was great and so much easier with the one pot! Thank you.
Hey Sharon,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, so glad to hear it was a hit!
Got this out of your cookbook and had to find it to share with my cousin that introduced me to your blog. This is amazing. No notes. I may try adding chicken just cause I like cooked chicken in my pasta but not because I think it’s lacking anything.
Hey Courtney,
Awesome!☃️ I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!
Awesome! Will make as a side dish for Thanksgiving. Used jalapeño cream cheese. 🙃
Love to hear this, Andi! Thanks a bunch for making this dish and your feedback!
Have a great weekend!
This was excellent. I opted to cook the pasta in chicken broth instead of water without adding any additional salt and also followed some previous reviewers and added some mustard powder as well. Absolutely delicious.
Hey Lizzie,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Hi! Can this be frozen and reheated?
Hi Jessica! Yes! You can freeze this for up to 3 months! Just cover it tightly before freezing. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 45–55 minutes until heated through. If baked first, store in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat as needed! 🙂 xT
Should we be draining the pasta first before mixing in the milk and cream cheese?
Hi Evan,
No need to drain the liquid in this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can I make this a day early and do the baking step day of?
Hey Chris,
Totally, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Do I keep the pasta water when adding the milk or strain first? Excited to try this!
Hey Aashana,
You can go ahead and keep the pasta water for this recipe, no need to drain it. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Tried this for the first time for dinner tonight. I subbed ground mustard for the cayenne, and it turned out great! This is definitely going in my rotation.
Hey Helene,
Happy Sunday! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it and your comment! Xx
This was amazing! Added shredded chicken breast to it. My entire family loved it! Thank you for the recipe!!
Hey Jayne,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xT
I think this is my favorite thing I have ever made. I love this recipe so much. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
Hi Liz,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xx