Baked Mac and Cheese With Little White Beans

I skipped the bread crumb topping, but I must say I really didn't notice the beans other than this was more filling. Good stuff. Recipe courtesy of Spilling the Beans, Cooking and Baking with Beans Every Day.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb macaroni (whole wheat rotini, small shells, or other pasta)
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1⁄2 cups milk
• 3  cups gouda cheese or 3  cups monterey jack cheese or 3  cups parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1  cup white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2  slices  whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
• 2  tablespoons canola oil (or olive oil or melted butter)
• 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it's tender but not mushy and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350. In the empty pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute or so, until the mixture starts to turn golden.
3. Stir in the milk and bring the sauce to a full boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, until the mixture is nice and thick.
4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheese until it melts. Add salt to taste, then stir in the drained pasta and beans.
5. If you want a breadcrumb topping, pulse the bread, butter, and Parmesan in a food processor until the bread turns into crumbs and the mixture is well blended.
6. Pour the macaroni and cheese into a baking dish and top with the breadcrumbs or additional cheese.
7. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the dish is bubbly around the edges and the topping is golden.