When my kids were young and picky about food, there was one item I could put on the table at supper they'd always eat – macaroni and cheese. They often would turn up their noses at mashed potatoes or potato salad, but never French fries or macaroni and cheese.
Although it’s easy to pick up a box of mac and cheese at the grocery store and fix it in a jiffy, I always loved the way my mom took a little more time and made hers from scratch, using chunks of Velveeta and baking it, rather than cooking it on top of the stove.
The secret to making an extra rich and good-tasting mac and cheese is using real cheese. The powdered packets in boxed mac and cheese don’t compare. It may be a lot less expensive to make the boxed mac and cheese, and smaller kids may not notice the difference, but if you want to make it for a special occasion, the following recipe works well. And, it goes well with everything, from grilled pork steaks or hot dogs to fried chicken or fish. One thing for sure, you won’t hear any complaints from the kids, who will no doubt ask for seconds!
THREE-CHEESE MACARONI BAKE
1 (8-ounce) package macaroni or penne pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup (4 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and half-and-half; cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese and salt and pepper until smooth.
Stir together pasta and cheese mixture, and pour into a lightly greased 11-by-7-inch oblong or round casserole baking dish.
Top with remaining Gruyere or Swiss cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Makes 4 large servings.
Note: Cheese will be “stringy” like on a hot pizza when you dish it out. Also, if it’s a hot day and you don’t what to fire up your oven, I’ve made this by cooking it in the microwave for about 10 minutes.
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Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
