Baked Spinach & Cheese Noodles

I didn't get to make most of the menu items last week because I was hit HARD by that stupid stomach virus. I think I ate more crackers last week than I have in my entire life. Unfortunately, me having a stomach bug meant that Dave & the toddler were on their own for dinner from Saturday through Wednesday.
Then Thursday was beautiful so we made burgers on the grill & Friday cooked steaks on the grill along with some veggies marinaded & grilled. MMMMM
Saturday night we made an amazing dish though. Baked Spinach & Cheese Noodles. This was absolutely incredible. Even the picky toddler LOVED it & kept signing more when his plate was empty!
I would definitely make a few changes to this recipe. I think it needs some diced onion and some garlic. Chicken would be a great add also if you're looking for something with a little meat. Otherwise, it was FABULOUS!! I will absolutely make this one again.

Ingredients:

2 T butter

1/3 cup flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 t pepper

1 t kosher salt

3 T Dijon mustard

15 oz ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 chopped red pepper

16 oz package of un-cooked noodles

The Directions.

I made a roux with the butter and flour, and then added the milk, the container of ricotta cheese and stirred in the spinach, red pepper, and spices. Oh! Use a big pot, so you don't have to transfer halfway through the way that I might have needed to do. And then you won't drop slimy spinach on the floor...

Spray the inside of your slowcooker with cooking spray and dump in a package of uncooked pasta noodles. Turn on your slowcooker so you won't "shock it" when you stir your cheese and spinach mixture into the noodles. Slowcooker stoneware shouldn't change temperatures rapidly.

Top with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

Queso

David *my hubby* is from TX and he always makes this amazing queso for all of our family GTG's and such so I thought I'd post his recipe. I'm not sure where the original came from since it's something that was passed down from his mother, to his sister, and now to him. The great thing about this dip is that it can make as much or as little as you like so the ingredient quantities are based on how many bricks of cheese you use and of course your personal taste.

"Dave's Queso"

2 bricks Velveta Cheese
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 strips of Bacon cooked and finely chopped
A good bunch (we use lots because we like spice) of jar jalapeno pepper rings and some juice
2 fresh jalapeno peppers (seeds and veins removed)
2 cans diced green chiles
1 can evaporated milk (used for thinning)

Chunk the velveta cheese and place in your slow cooker.
Sautee the bacon on the stove top, drain and chop into small pieces. Then sautee the onions and garlic in the left over bacon grease (we drain some off if the bacon is especially fatty). Place bacon, onions, and garlic in slow cooker. Mix in remaining ingredients (minus evaporated milk) and set your slow cooker on low.
We usually have this in the cooker for a couple of hours before we're serving it. Taste it and add what you need to to satisfy your pallet. The evaporated milk can be used to thin out the cheese as it starts to thicken over time.

This is really yummy with tostitos, crackers, on burgers/hotdogs...and just about anything else you put cheese on!
ENJOY!