Individual Pasta and Cheese Casseroles with Spinach

This is a great way to serve dinner when you need to serve different people at different times! For me, that means I'll feed one child at 6 PM and the other around 8 PM, when his track meet finishes (he'll be starving too, so he won't want to wait).

Wanna prep ahead? You can prep all the mini casseroles in advance and bake them as needed. Cover with plastic and refrigerate up to 2 days before baking.

Feeling energetic? Make a bunch and keep them in the freezer - your future self will thank you!

Freezer tips: If you're making extra for your "future self", wrap each casserole in plastic and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also pop them in freezer bags to ensure quality later on. Remove the plastic and foil and bake as directed below (from frozen), adding 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.

Need a bigger batch? This recipe makes four individual casseroles, but you can easily double the recipe and make 8, or triple it and make 12... You get the point!

Swap the veggies: For this recipe, I folded in baby spinach, but you could also add peas, corn, carrots, and blanched broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.

About the paper baking cups: Paper baking cups are sold with the other baking accessories in most grocery stores, big box stores and craft stores. If you can't find them, you can use paper cupcake liners - place the liners in a muffin pan and make 6 individual casseroles instead of 4.

Individual Pasta and Cheese Casseroles with Spinach

8 ounces small elbow pasta (small shapes work better for mini casseroles)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, preferably salt-free
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. While the pasta is still hot, add the olive oil and Italian seasoning. Toss to coat. Fold in the spinach and stir until wilted. Fold in the parmesan cheese and salt and black pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into 4 individual paper baking cups (or 6 paper cupcake liners).
Top with the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese melts.

Serves 4