Recipe: Mac N Cheese

My coworker let me borrow some his more successful cookbooks a while back. Which was a huge mistake on his part, because he'll probably never see them again.

Last week, Boyfriend and I tried two recipes, one of which was the Mac N Cheese.

I've only tried one other "from scratch" Mac N Cheese, and although it tasted good, I wouldn't call it a success because it ended up getting that weird grainy texture.

This recipe I WOULD call a success because it was easy to make, didn't get grainy, and isn't too bad on the "Fat-Ass" scale.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
(according to Weight Watchers 15 Minute Recipes)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups uncooked multigrain macaroni
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 ounces light processed cheese (like Velveeta), cubed
1 cup reduced-fat shredded, extra sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook macaroni in boiling water for 8 min. Drain and set aside.

2. Coat ramekins or baking dish with cooking spray.

3. Preheat broiler.

4. While pasta cooks, combine milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over med-high heat 10 min, or until thickened, WHISKING CONSTANTLY. Remove pan from heat, add processed cheese, 3/4 cup Cheddar, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in macaroni.

5. Spoon macaroni mixture into ramekins/ baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Cheddar. If using ramekins, set them on a baking sheet; broil 3 min or until cheese melts.


According to the book, this recipe is worth 6 points.





My verdict: It had a mild flavor and was very creamy. The final product was something surprisingly similar to the store bought Mac N Cheese that comes with a cheese pouch. Which, I guess if you're one of those body-conscious overachievers or an all-organic, drum-circle kind of person, then this is probably not the meal for you.

Obviously, I'm neither.

I ate the food. And I liked it.

And I would definitely make it again.


Worth Noting:
-I greased my baking dish with butter.
-I couldn't find "light processed cheese", so I bought the normal one.
-I used regular old full-fat Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese.
-I used Vitamin D milk because that's what I buy.
-I may or may not have used a little extra Cheddar to sprinkle on top.

Maybe the trick to this Mac N Cheese turning out so edible is that I didn't really follow any of the diety stuff. I don't know, I'm not really one to get into details. Regardless, it seems like a solid recipe for easy, creamy homemade Mac N Cheese that can be made as a full-fat recipe, or lighter version if needed.

Boner'ppetite.

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Mac N Cheese.

Has anyone purchased the Anyone Can Cook magazine yet??? I'm STILL enjoying meals from that one first magazine I bought and let me tell you, I have yet to be let down. For the most part, their recipes are pretty easy to follow. And more importantly, none of them require obscure-ass rare spices that I'd have to fly to Ho Chi Minh City to find.

My latest trial and error: Mac N Cheese.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups dried elbow macaroni
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 oz American cheese, cut into half inch cubes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and return to pan. Add milk, butter, pepper, and salt. Stir in all the cheeses till melty. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes; stir gently. Bake for another 5 minutes or until it's heated through (don't overheat or mixture will curdle (barf.)). Let stand for 10 minutes.



NOTES:
-I used black pepper because I didn't want to spend money on white pepper and never use it again.
-I also used Kraft American singles because I didn't want to spend $6 on a block of American cheese when I already had slices at home. I used 7 slices and ripped them up into pieces before adding to the mixture.
-AND, I also topped my mac with some Italian bread crumbs before putting it in the oven. I like my mac crunchy. (It didn't get crunchy.) (But it was still good.)
-I served it up right away (instead of waiting 10 minutes). I liked it that way.

IMPORTANT: While I would still make this recipe again because it was easy and tasty, this is not a smooth, creamy, gooey Mac N Cheese. It's more like a lumpy, ricotta type, homestyle Mac N Cheese. It also reheats fine the next day.

Eat it with a hot dog.

Boner'Ppetite.

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