White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I can eat it all by itself or with a meal. I was always under the impression that IT Guy didn't like it. So...consequently, I haven't made it very often during our marriage. But I decided to make it the other day along with some baked chicken. I figured he try it out of obligation...you know, be a good sport. So when I told him what we were having, I told him "I know you don't care for macaroni and cheese, but I wanted to try this. Don't eat it if you don't want to."  He looked at me a little puzzled and said, "I like macc and cheese. Where'd you get the idea I didn't?" Sheesh...you think you know a person.

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese



3 cups elbow macaroni - cooked and drained
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs



Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9x9 glass dish.

Boil the elbow pasta and drain.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour, chili powder, salt and pepper and mix well, getting out all the lumps and stir for 3 minutes.

SLOWLY add 1 cup of milk and stir until smooth and lump free. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and mix well. Add in the Dijon mustard.

Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, add 1 cup of the cheese, mix well.

Add the sour cream, mix well.

Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared dish, cover with remaining cheese. Combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over mixture.

Cook for 30 minutes until its golden brown and bubbly. 

Let it sit 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

 
This is what you need.

 
Melt the butter. Add the flour, 
chili powder, salt and pepper.

 
Mix well and stir and cook for about 3 minutes.

 
Then add the milk.

 
Stir in the cheese...

 
..and sour cream. Mix well until smooth.

 
Dump in your pasta and mix well.

 
Combine the breadcrumbs and butter.

 
Pour the sauce/pasta into your 
prepared dish and sprinkle with 
remaining cheese and the bread crumb mixture.

 
Yummy, yes???? Oh, yes!

Kielbasa Mac & Cheese

What's better than homemade macaroni and cheese? Well, I'll tell you. Macaroni and cheese with a little kielbasa thrown in. Because these are two of our favorite things, I decided to combine them for an awesome dish. So good and so easy. You can bake this is a 9x13 inch baking pan if you want to be fancy, but I left it in my cast iron skillet because, yeah...I'm lazy like that. But you should try this soon! 

Kielbasa Mac & Cheese



1 16-ounce package cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2-inch "coins"
1 8-ounce package elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter ~ divided use
1 small onion ~ chopped 3 tablespoons  flour
2 cups whole milk
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup panko bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook and stir the kielbasa over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove the sausage from the skillet, and set aside.

Boil the macaroni until al dente.  Drain.

Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet over medium-low heat, then add the chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Slowly whisk in the milk stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Whisk in the cheese and cook until sauce is smooth and hot.

Add the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce, and stir to combine.

Stir in the cooked kielbasa.

In a small bowl, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and combine with the panko crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni mixture.

Bake for about 20 minutes until the crumbs are brown and the casserole is bubbling.

Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The list of ingredients.

Cook the kielbasa in a large skillet, then remove.

Add 5 T. of the butter and the onions. 

Saute for a few minutes.

Then add the flour and let it thicken a bit.

Then add the milk. Cook and stir until thickened.

Then add the cheese and salt 

and pepper to taste. Stir to smooth.

Pour in the cooked pasta.

Add the kielbasa. Stir to combine.

Mix the melted butter and the panko crumbs.

Sprinkle panko/butter mixture on

top and bake for a few minutes.

Allow to set for about 10 minutes 

before serving. So good!

My Mom’s Macaroni Casserole

You know...there are just some things you never outgrow. When I was a kid, my mom made "macaroni casserole" a couple of times a month. It was just a staple at our dinner table. I've been eating if for as long as I can remember. So it only made sense to raise MY kids on it. It's nothing new. Nothing you'd really write home about. But, it's good. It's reliable and it's homey.



My Mom’s Macaroni Casserole



1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic – minced
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 or 2 small cans diced green chilies
1 box macaroni & cheese - prepared
Salt
Pepper
Grated cheddar cheese

Prepared mac & cheese according to box directions. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, sauté onion, garlic and green chilies in some olive oil until slightly soft. Add ground beef and cook until meat is done. Drain. Salt and pepper to taste. Add tomato sauce and mac & cheese. Stir until combined. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake another 10 minutes.

Serves 6

Here's the line-up!

 

Saute the onion and green 

chilies in some olive oil.

 

Then throw in the ground beef. 

Brown that....then,

 

add the prepared macc and 

cheese and the tomato sauce.

 

Dump it in a casserole dish...or if 

you're like me, leave it in the large skillet.

 

Bake it for about 20 minutes or so....then...

 

..throw some cheese on top and let it melt. Then eat up!

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