‘Eat your greens’ mac & cheese

Method

• step 1

  Boil a kettle of water and heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted and foaming, scatter in the flour and stir to form a paste. Cook for 1 min, stirring all the while, then slowly add the milk, still whisking.

• step 2

  Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir in the frozen spinach, cooking for 4-5 mins until it wilts into the sauce. Stir in the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

• step 3

  Meanwhile, pour the boiled water from the kettle into a large pan, lightly season with salt, then bring to the boil. Chop the broccoli quite finely, chopping the stalk as well. Once the water is boiling, carefully add the broccoli and cook for 5-6 mins until very tender. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and stir straight into the sauce. Pour the macaroni into the water you used to cook the broccoli and cook following pack instructions.

• step 4

  Grate the cheddar and stir this into the sauce too. Use a hand blender to blitz the sauce until smooth and green. Be careful as it will be hot. Drain the cooked macaroni and stir into the sauce. It will be quite loose but will thicken in the oven.

• step 5

  Pour everything into a casserole dish or deep roasting tin (ours was 30cm). Mix the panko breadcrumbs and mixed seeds with the vegetable oil and some salt and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the top of the pasta. Bake for 25 mins until bubbling, golden and oozy. Serve with a little more parmesan, if you like.