mmmm, mac & cheese please

Growing up, I was never a big fan of mac & cheese.  Say What?!  I know, what kid doesn't like macaroni and cheese.  Well, I didn't.  However, that's because all I ever had was from the blue box with the powdered cheese.  (which 2 out of 3 of my children love).  Once I discovered homemade mac & cheese, I realized what all the fuss was about, but have not had good luck making it myself.  My first experience, quite a while back, was filled with all kinds of delicious cheeses, making a roux, spending lots of time preparing....just for it to taste like....like....well, nothing.  It was the blandest mess I had ever eaten.  I still don't know what I did wrong.  But anyway, needless to say, I haven't been too eager to try it again.  Until I found this recipe from Raise Healthy Eaters.  It looked too simple.  The picture looked delicious.  I decided to give it a try.  SCORE!  It was yummy and super easy!!!

Doesn't it look good?  All that fabulous cheese....

Easy Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

 by Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD


Ingredients:


2 TBS butter or margarine  I used Smart Balance Light

2 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni  I used whole wheat penne pasta (I couldn't find elbow mac in ww)

1/4-1/2 tsp salt to taste

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese  I used sharp, it would be good with a mixture of cheeses

3 oz precooked andouille or turkey sausage, diced (1 cup) (optional)  I omitted

3 1/2 cups skim milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter in a 2-quart casserole dish and let it melt in the oven. Remove it and then add the macaroni to the dish and stir and coat. Stir in the salt, mustard, nutmeg, cheese and sausage (optional). Pour the milk over everything and stir gently.

Bake it for an hour, uncovered (don’t stir while cooking). Let the casserole cook for 5 to 10 minutes before serving it.
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See?!  I told you it was super easy.  We had 'Sloppy Joes', salad and mandarin oranges to go with it.  We were supposed to have the sloppy joes for dinner Sunday night, but the power went out, so we had sandwiches and chips!  That's what happens when I try to meal plan.  Something always messes it up!  But anyway, my kids didn't like the sloppy joe....shocker, I know.

Number One's plate

I, of course, had carb overload.  My plate = food coma

I even made dessert...egg-free soynut butter cookies.  I know you're excited to hear about those! haha.  That will probably be tomorrow's post since I've bombarded you with pictures. 

Don't forget to check PINT with That One Mom at Only Parent Chronicles!  I didn't have enough sarcastic witty comments to make post-its today. 

ALSO - if you have a dollar to spare...donate to my Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!!  It's coming up on 10/9!!  There's a link on the right side of the page.  Every dollar helps!! Thanks!