This spinach artichoke mac and cheese combines all the things you love about spinach artichoke dip in one comforting side dish! Packed with two kinds of cheese and lots of tender spinach and artichoke hearts.
As if spinach artichoke dip wasn’t indulgent enough, just imagine for sec what happens when we introduce mac and cheese to this appetizer favorite.
Boom, I’m pretty confident the best side dish in the world was just created. If you need me, I’ll be living in that pot down there for the forseeable future.
Yes folks, this is it! We’re combining two of the best comfort foods into one stellar side dish and the result is everything you could ever dream of and more.
I’m talking two kinds of cheese, crispy breadcrumbs, lots of spinach + artichokes, the WORKS, y’all.
This Mac and Cheese Features…
- Gooey mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a rich sauce
- Tender spinach and artichoke hearts
- A crispy breadcrumb coating
Making the Mac and Cheese
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- 2% or skim milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Pasta
- Baby spinach
- Artichoke hearts
- Panko breadcrumbs
Tips for Perfect Mac and Cheese
- Make a roux – a roux is equal parts butter and flour and it is the base to your sauce. Cook the roux over medium heat, whisking constantly until a light golden brown.
- Slowly drizzle in milk + cream – use a whisk to evenly incorporate the liquids into the roux to avoid lumps
- Cook sauce over medium heat – once the milk and cream have been added, cook the sauce over medium heat and stir often to avoid burning. The sauce is done when it’s bubbly and can coat the back of a spoon.
- Fold in cheese offheat – this will prevent the cheese from burning. Once the sauce is thickened, remove from heat and whisk in cheeses until melted.
- Save some cheese for baking on top – reserve 1 cup mozzarella for topping with mac and cheese before baking.
- Cook pasta to al dente – be careful not to overcook your pasta during boiling as it will continue cooking a bit once added to the sauce.
- Bake mac and cheese 20-25 minutes – the mac and cheese is done when the breadcrumbs are toasted and pasta is bubbly.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this mac and cheese.
- Add different vegetables – sauteed mushrooms, sweet peppers, peas, summer squash, or zucchini are great mixed into this mac and cheese.
- Use a different pasta shape – this mac and cheese works great with penne, elbows, fusilli, or ziti.
- Make it meaty – try adding crispy bacon bits, cooked chicken, turkey, or sausage.
- Use a different cheese – try a mix of cheddar, swiss, provolone, or Monterey jack.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow recipe instructions through step 4 and do not bake. Cover pan tightly with tin foil and store mac and cheese in refrigerator up to 4 days.
When ready to bake, allow pan to come to room temperature for about 20 minutes. Bake mac and cheese at 400F 10 minutes with foil then remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until bubbly and browned.
I’m just gonna say it, you may never want spinach artichoke dip or mac and cheese on their own again because they were made to live happily ever after together in this pan.
New comfort food addiction for reaaaal.
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Try these other favorite macs next!
Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb pasta (shells, penne, elbows, etc) cooked according to package instructions until al dente
- 2 cups firmly-packed baby spinach
- 1 jar (12 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in flour until smooth and let cook 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Slowly drizzle in milk and cream, whisking constantly until smooth and incorporated.
- Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and add 1-1/2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan, stirring until cheese is melted.
- Fold cooked pasta, spinach, and artichoke hearts into sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Scrape mac and cheese in an even layer in prepared baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and breadcrumbs.
- Bake mac and cheese at 400F 20-25 minutes until topping is browned and mac and cheese is bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 6/17/26.
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
What a fun twist on traditional mac and cheese! I bet it was AWESOME!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
Is it bad that I want this before it’s 10am?! This looks amazing!!!
Sarah says
Haha! No shame at all! I get mac ‘n’ cheese cravings pretty early in the day myself. 😉
Marta @ Foodaciously says
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing this hearty and tasty recipe! Using spinach and artichokes is a great way to make a mac’n’cheese healthier, I also added some cherry tomatoes for a nice color contrast 🙂
Thank you!