Bacon and Kale Macraoni and Cheese by Mary Sauer

Hi! I'm Mary and I write at The Sauers, a family blog covering topics of motherhood, marriage, cooking, and faith. I'm mama to a one year old, Clementine, and wife to Chris. I met Julie through the Influence Network, a network that inspires Christian women to intentionally use their online presence. 

Julie gave me freedom to share on any topic today, so I chose cooking. Because, after all, the kitchen is one of my favorite places to spend time. Last week, Julie shared on Facebook that she was looking for some creative recipes with kale in them. This week, I cooked up this yummy macaroni and cheese. I love this recipe--it is perfect for introducing kale to picky eaters! I made this recipe gluten free, if you prefer you can use regular macaroni noodles instead of brown rice macaroni.

Bacon & Kale Macaroni & Cheese

adapted from: Good Life Eats

Serves 4

12 oz Brown Rice Macaroni 

1/2 lb bacon

4 large kale leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp butter

1 cup milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

3/4 cup swiss cheese, shredded

1 tsp dijon mustard

Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Chop the bacon into large pieces and fry in a skillet. Once bacon is cooked through, drain most of the grease from the pan and then mix in kale with bacon. Leave on the burner until the kale softens, then set aside. Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add milk, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and mix in shredded cheese until melted. Mix together pasta, bacon and kale mixture, melted cheese, and dijon mustard. Salt well and top with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

Enjoy!

- Mary