Macaroni & Cheese is one of my son’s favorite foods, so he eats it quite often. Thus, instead of buying the processed, boxed macaroni and cheese from the store, I usually make my own Mac & Cheese at home using this basic recipe and then adding my own “hidden” vegetables. I also use a variety of other pasta types and shapes, including whole wheat, brown rice, corn pasta or spelt pasta. Additionally, whenever there is a  “kid’s pot-luck party” I almost always bring “mac & cheese” and I often get asked to share my recipe.

Macaroni & Cheese is really easy to make and is a great to serve as a side dish, main course, at a party or bbq, at a school pot-luck or just about any other occasion. This recipe is very simple to make and you don’t need to use exact measurements. The recipe listed below is for a party sized portion of Mac & Cheese – you can adjust the recipe accordingly for your family.

Macaroni & Cheese Recipe
Author: 
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • Cheese Grated (approx 250 gms)
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 2 tbsp. Butter
  • 1 tsp. of flour
  • 1 bag of Macaroni (approx 500 gms)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • ¼ cup Browned Onions (optional)
  • Tomatoes (garnish)
Instructions
  1. Boil the pasta. Make sure it is only HALF cooked. Drain and set aside.
  2. In a large pot, heat the milk and flour on medium heat for approximately 1-2 minutes. (Do not let it boil - if it gets too hot, then just turn the stove off)
  3. Set aside a small portion of the cheese for the top.
  4. Add the remaining cheese and keep stirring until the cheese melts.
  5. Add the salt to taste.
  6. Add the pasta and mix until the pasta is fully coated in the cheese.
  7. Mix in the onions (optional).
  8. Place the mixture into a baking dish.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of
  10. Garnish with round, thin cut tomatoes (optional).
  11. Bake at 170 C for 15-20 mins.

 

Super Cooking Tips

(1) Make sure you only 1/2 boil your pasta. This way the pasta will still remain firm after it comes out of the oven.

(2) Be careful not to boil the milk/cheese mixture. If the mixture gets too hot, just remove it from the heat – the cheese will still melt.

(3) Try to use a “sharp” or “aged” cheddar cheese – this really enhances the taste of the mac & cheese.

(4) Sprinkle bread crumbs on the top of your mac & cheese before baking for a crispy top layer.

(5) You can also add vegetables to your macaroni and cheese. I usually add steamed and pureed butternut squash to my kids mac & cheese to make it healthier. Since the butternut squash is orange, it actually gives the dish a much nicer color.

(6) If you using this recipe for a party, I recommend using normal “white grain” macaroni pasta. If you are making it for your kid’s at home, then you can try using a different variety of wheat, veggie and/or different types of grain pasta.

Happy cooking and eating!

-xoxo-
SuperMommy

 

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