Cheesy Noodle Bake

I don't come from a long line of chefs. My parents and grandparents have a handful of "signature" dishes between them, but probably not enough to fill a cookbook.

But, one of the dishes I remember both my grandmother and my mother making was baked pork chops on top of cheesy noodles. The pork chops were never my favorite part, but the cheesy noodles? They are the definition of comfort. I've been craving comfort food lately, so I decided some updated cheesy noodles were in order.

Notes: Cheddar cheese is what gives the cheesy noodles their signature taste, but use a different cheese if you must! I decided to make this one vegetarian, so I opted for greens instead of pork chops.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb of pasta (spaghetti, linguine, angel hair)
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 cup chopped greens (swiss chard, kale, shredded cabbage)
Salt
Pepper
Butter (for greasing the baking dish)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a stock pot of water to a boil, add a small handful of salt to the water, and cook the pasta according to the directions. While your pasta is cooking, chop your greens and grate your cheese.

After you drop your pasta, heat the milk over medium heat until it's scalded -- warm and steaming with little bubbles around the edge, but not boiling. Season with salt and pepper.

When the pasta is done, drain it and pour it into your buttered glass baking dish. Turn the heat off the milk, add 2 cups of the grated cheese, and stir until melted and smooth. Pour the cheese and milk mixture over the noodles. Add the chopped greens and stir to combine. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let it stand 5 minutes, serve it up and enjoy!

Comfort on a plate!