Greek (and German) Mac N' Cheese

Preposterous! Greek (German) Mac N'Cheese? What? Why?
Before I answer that, thanks to Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine for hosting Presto Pasta Night  #237 for hosting this week. Now that the weather is (sometimes) cooler, I'm finding a lot more pasta in my rotation.

Anyway, back the original question, why Greek/German Mac N'Cheese? I had leftover cooked spatzele from Swiss Chard Spatzele and some leftover feta in the fridge that demanded it be used. I also had a block of goat cheese mozzarella that was approaching its farewell from the fridge. When I think feta, I think spinach, and when I think spinach and feta, I think spanakopitas. I didn't want to mess with philo dough for a weeknight meal, so I used pasta instead.

Greek (and German) Mac N' Cheese (serves 4 hungry people)

• 4 C cooked spatzele
• 2 C raw spinach, loosely packed
• olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• handful fresh dill, chopped
• 6 oz feta, finely crumbled
• 6 oz mozzarella, shredded (I used goat mozzarella)
• salt & pepper
• 3/4 C panko bread crumbs
• parmesan
• oregano 

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Heat a small amount of olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes, or til slightly golden. Add the spinach, and saute til wilted. Turn off heat, and mix in the dill. Set aside.
2. Lightly grease a casserole dish with a bit of oil or butter. Add the cooked spatzele. Crumble in the feta and mozzarella and mix thoroughly. Add the spinach, and continue to mix in--be sure to save the saute pan from the spinach. Add a bit of salt, if desired, and pepper.  
3. Add a tiny, tiny bit more oil to the saute pan if necessary. Toss in the bread crumbs, a a bit of salt and pepper, and a bit of oregano. Stir constantly, and add a bit of parmesan if desired. 
4. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the casserole. Cover, and cook for 30 mins. Remove cover, and cook an additional 30 mins or until the top is golden brown. 

                                                          Fresh Out of the Oven...

                                                          ...and a few minutes later

Verdict? Yummy stuff. I like the idea of a pasta version of spanakopita. It was a bit dry, I think it would benefit from a bit of cream cheese to smooth out the texture, not enough to change the flavor though. What surprised me the most, was that it reheated fabulously, and didn't dry out in the microwave.