Well guys, my son Edison has officially reached the crawling stage. Except he’s not really crawling, it’s more of a shuffle-drag situation. The first day he started doing it I was horrified to realize how dirty he was getting all down his front. Time to mop I guess. Busted! Aside from definitely needing a deep clean of my house, I now live in constant fear that he’s going to choke on the approximately 1,000 baby-esophagus-sized toys my other children have amassed over the years. I feel like every time I set him down I’m unleashing him on a mine field. It is an absolute miracle that younger children ever survive, honestly. Especially with a 3 year old in the house, who’s constantly trying to “feed him” or “hug him” (to death). She’s going to kill him accidentally through her own exuberance. At least it’s not as bad as for my sister, who turned around one day to find her 2 year old poised over the newborn with a jagged rock in her hands, ready to strike. Gah! The best part is that it’s all made in one pot. No second pot needed to boil the noodles. Hooray! We are boiling the pasta in the same mixture that turns into the cheese sauce. I will show you just how to make it! Now let’s get into the details. Start out by melting a little butter in a pan. Add in some flour and whisk it up to make a roux. Gradually pour in evaporated milk, water, and whole milk, whisking constantly so you don’t break the sauce (more on that below). Once all the liquid is in, add the dry macaroni right away. Bring the mixture to a light boil, then turn it down to medium low to get your pasta to al dente. After that, you simply add in your cheese and THAT’S IT. It’s so easy and done in just 20 or 30 minutes, depending on how many 3 year olds you have in the background trying to strangle the 9 month olds. We are starting out by making a very loose roux, which is a fancy way to say, “cooked butter and flour.” You melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and once a paste has formed, you add liquid. This is the moment where you can make or break your mac and cheese. If you add the liquid too fast without whisking to incorporate it into the roux, you will get grainy clumps of buttery flour in your mac and cheese, and the sauce will seem thin and watery. As for the cheese: a combination of cheese is a must. You need sharp cheddar cheese for flavor. You can of course substitute any type of cheese you want (mozzarella, Gouda, Monterey Jack, etc) but American nostalgia demands sharp cheddar, so that’s what I use. The problem with high quality cheddar cheese is that it doesn’t melt well into sauces. It tends to seize up and get grainy. The flavor is amazing, but the texture is not quite what we’re looking for in a perfectly creamy stovetop mac and cheese. The solution? Add Velveeta, or any type of American cheese. Processed cheese provides the texture we need in this recipe. Can you use all cheddar cheese, in place of the processed stuff? Yes. Will your mac and cheese be as creamy? Nope. The other way to avoid grainy mac and cheese is to shred your cheddar cheese by hand. If you use pre-shredded cheese, it will not melt as smoothly because of the anti-caking agents they use to package it.
1770 House Meatloaf (Ina Garten Meatloaf Recipe) Cream Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf You could also serve it with meatballs, like these Easy Baked Meatballs.
Other meat dishes that go with mac and cheese are ribs, like Nana’s Fall Off the Bone Ribs, or these Honey Balsamic Ribs. Pulled Pork would also be delicious, or try this Grilled Tri Tip.
Salad. If you want your easy mac and cheese to stand alone as a main dish, add in a big green salad, like this Apple Gorgonzola Salad, or this Raspberry Avocado Salad. Broccoli Salad would be good too! Roasted veggies. You can’t go wrong with serving roasted veggies with easy mac and cheese. Try these Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts. Stovetop veggies. 10 Minute Sauteed Zucchini and Squash would be a great light side. Coleslaw. My Favorite Coleslaw is made with lemon and fresh herbs, and I’m obsessed with it. Beans. You can’t go wrong with beans and mac and cheese! Try these Santa Maria Pinquito Beans or this recipe for Red Beans and Rice.
To-Die-For Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese Recipe « Creamy, cheesy, buttery Mac and Cheese HEAVEN, made in the slow cooker. We are not even boiling the noodles first! Homemade Macaroni and Cheese « This is a recipe from my mother-in-law. It’s a really good basic baked recipe. Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe (30 Minute Dinner) « an absolute classic, and so easy to put together with pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand. Mac and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Broccoli « Adding stuff into your mac to make it a full meal is always a great idea! Ham Mac and Cheese Soup « This is a soup version of mac and cheese, and it’s a huge favorite! Italian Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad « a simple balsamic dressing pulls classic Italian flavors together in this crowd-pleasing potluck dish. Bacon Casserole Cheeseburger from Amanda’s Kitchen Pasta in Foil Recipe with Goat Cheese and Tomatoes from Cookin’ Canuck Pasta with Egg and Cheese from Copycat Recipes
