Macaroni and Cheese

When people first asked me what I was going to cook them in my blog, my answer was always "Mac and Cheese!  Who wants to eat the blue boxed stuff?!"  The answer, was surprisingly, "ME!"  So apparently, people have fond memories of the (gross!) powdered cheese.  Well, if thats you, don't forget my post today! Pay close attention,  you'll be learning lots more than just Macaroni and Cheese!

  

Ingredients:

2 T        Butter

2 T        flour

salt and pepper

1 c        broth
1/2 c     Milk

3 c        Cheddar

dijon mustard, if needed

2 1/2 c  Elbows, cooked

Directions:

1.  Melt butter

2. Stir in flour (I used wheat flour, so if you use white flour, it wont look this dark)

3.  Whisk in Chicken Broth until smooth, cook about 3 minutes  (you just made GRAVY)

4.  Stir in Milk (you just made basic Cream of Chicken soup)

5.  Stir in Cheese, cook until melted (you just made Cheese Soup!)

6.  Add about 1-2 T Dijon mustard for tang, if wanted

7.  Stir in Noodles, serve, Makes about 4 side dish or 2 main dish servings

Variations:

1. Add Taco Meat (Taco hamburger helper!)
2. Add cooked chicken, switch cheese to mozzerella, add 1/2 c wing sauce with milk  (Buffalo Chicken!
3. Switch to mozzerella, add pepperoni, 1/2 cup spagetti sauce (Pizza!)
4. Add 2 cans of tuna and peas (tuna noodle casserole)
5. Subtract noodles, add broccoli and califlower (Brocolli Cheese soup!)
6. Leftovers?  Add 1 egg, make patties, pan fry, dip in bbq sauce

Freezing Macaroni and Cheese Directions:

1. Line Pyrex baking dish with aluminum foil and saran wrap

2. Spray foil with Pam

3. Pour Mac and Cheese (or LASAGNA, JustLauren!!!) in dish

4.Place in freezer for 12-24 hours, freeze until solid

 

5.  Wrap Mac and cheese in the saran wrap/aluminum foil

 6. Remove from Pyrex dish, freeze for up to 3 months

Cooking from freezing directions:

Do not dethaw

Unwrap fully, place back into original Pyrex dish

Put in 350* oven.  Cook for 90 minutes, covered