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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Holy Macaroni!

I love macaroni and cheese. I do. I love it. It has two of the worlds most amazing foodstuffs combined in one dish. Pasta and Cheese. Seriously everything is better with cheese.

My parents never fed us with stuff that “comes out of the box.” No Rice-a-Roni, Hamburger Helper, boxed cake mixes, not even Kraft Macaroni. Subsequently, I viewed all of these foods as a “Treat.” Ha ha…..the irony of that cracks me up now. Of course, my knowledge of “real food” verses “food products” makes my view on what constitutes a “Treat” a little bit different now! (Of course, some companies like Annies, have combined the best of both worlds.)
So, even though we didn’t have Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, in all of it’s processed glory…we still had Mac N’ Cheese, and it was my favorite dish growing up. I requested it for any special occasion in which I got to choose the dinner (so mostly my birthday).

My mom made me a cookbook when I got my first apartment, it has several of her favorite recipes, and I love that book. And of course, Mac N’ Cheese is in it.


I am going to call his Marmee’s Microwave Mac n’ Cheese. (Yes I call my Mom Marmee, ala Little Women).

Ingredients:
3 T. butter
½ Cup Milk
2 Cups Cheese
½ t. salt
½ t. dry mustard
4 drops hot sauce (I use Tapatio and I use WAYYY more than four drops.) Gives it a little kick!
2 T flour
Ground Pepper
7 oz macaroni shells.

Method:
Cook macaroni according to package direction
While noodles are cooking melt butter in a 2 quart casserole dish in the microwave.
After butter melts stir in flour, salt, mustard and hot sauce.
Stir in milk (concoction looks absolutely disgusting at this point…just roll with it.)
Microwave for 3 minutes, take out of micro and stir with a fork.
Microwave for another 3 minutes.
Add all cheese and stir. Microwave 30 seconds to ensure melty-ness.
Add drained pasta and stir, making sure all of the noodles are incorporated.

Microwave for another 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve with freshly ground pepper.

Seriously…..it’s the best and it’s so so so so easy. And it makes a lot, and is filling.

I served it with roasted green beans. (washed, trimmed, tossed with olive oil and salt for 15 mins at 450).

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious! I also love mac 'n cheese:) I know what you mean about thinking of packaged foods as a treat, I always did too! My parents never used them, but friends parents did, so I always felt like it was something special.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness that sounds exactly like the mac & cheese we had in my house growing up! My mom doesn't believe in packaged foods, so she'd always make out cheese sauce from scratch - and add in cayenne pepper!!! Until High school I thought all mac & cheese was supposed to be spicy. :P

Allison said...

Janie,
It is delicious...you have to try it! I loved going to my friends houses for boxed macaroni and canned green beans!

Catherine,
Ha! I thought the exact same thing. I like it a little too spicy for my husband though!

Anonymous said...

I call my mom "marmy," too--I just spell it wrong, I guess! Your mac n cheese looks amazing!