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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Ladies Who Lunch.

Last week, my blogger-and-real-life friend Crying is the New Croquet decided to host a Ladies Who Lunch. And since we all know I like to eat, and in some parts of the world I might be considered a lady, I was all over it.

On the Menu:
Bruschetta
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Chef's Salad

For the Kids:
Dino-Bites
Pizza Roll-ups

I'm sure you'll be shocked to know I was too busy strapping on the old feedbag to get recipes for everything. But I did manage to get the deets on my two favs, the Corn and Bean Salad and the Pizza Roll-ups.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 can of black beans.
1.5 cups frozen sweet organic corn.
2 scallions chopped
2 cloves of garlic (crushed through a press)
1 tomato diced
Olive oil (about a tbsp or less if you want it lighter)
Lime juice
Salt

Rinse beans. Combine all ingredients. Let it sit and mingle for a few hours. (Can also be served wrap style with Bibb lettuce.) (I ate it with a shit ton of tortills chips.)

I couldn't stop eating all her beans and corns.

Worth Noting: Word on the street is, this is a Weight Watchers recipe. Which is shocking because it was fucking delicious and usually I only like stuff when it's one Weight Watcher's "EAT THIS AND DIE" list.

Pizza Roll-ups
Pillsbury pizza dough
Sauce
Cheese
Pepperoni
and any other toppings you might like

Flatten out pizza dough. Prepare with toppings as usual. Roll up into a log. Slice into generous 1 inch thick rounds. Fit rounds side by side in a round pie dish. Bake according to dough instructions or until tops brown.



Here are some other shots of the stuff I ate.

Every lunch should have Mimosas. Whether you're on the clock or not is irrelevant.

Bruschetta vs. TILTE. (Spoiler Alert: I won.)

A salad topped with potatoes, avocado, and chicken (among other things) is MY kind of salad.

More pizza roll-ups.

Bailey, the Wonder Weiner/ Butler. He sat on his butt like this the whole time we were at the table.

Boner'Ppetite.

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