Easy Peasy Mac-N-Cheesy

Easy Peasy Mac-N-Cheesy

Mama Lanette loves macaroni and cheese!  Alyssa JoJo loves macaroni and cheese! Being the homegrown Midwestern foodie freaks they are, the cheesier, the better.  Everybody loves a good homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, and this one is super easy!  Well, actually, Grandma JoyJoy doesn’t care for macaroni and cheese.  I guess it has something to do with growing up in the days when Catholics never ate meat on Fridays, (blah blah, Catholic guilt, blah, blah) not just during Lent as we are apt to do in modern times…if even then (sorry Baby Jesus!).  Even so, Mama Lanette and Alyssa JoJo did not let Grandma JoyJoy’s dislike deter them from an intense love of the Mac-N-Cheese.   Oh no!  We moved far beyond the blue box blues, with its artificial neon orange powder, and into a world of naturally-hued tangerine dreams. 

 Once you realize how easy homemade Mac-N-Cheese can be, you might just never look back.  Soon you will be adding green chilies and salsa, making it Mexican style, or adding tuna and some mushrooms to create the perfect cheesy tuna mac.  Adding a little ham, green peppers and onions is another blissful concoction that is a perfect use for leftover Easter or Christmas ham.   And, true to Mama Lanette style…it freezes beautifully!  You don’t think the SOB and I eat an entire pan of this, do you?  Oh no, my little freaks!  Mama Lanette cannot be trusted to let leftover Mac-N-Cheese sit in the fridge, the compulsive overeating disordered little gal she is.  As soon as that pan cools off, poof!  Off she goes, cutting it into “perfect for two” sized pieces, wrapping it in foil, labeling it with her hot pink Sharpie, and popping it into the freezer.  It is as delightful thawed and reheated in the oven as it is the first time around.   So here we go freaks!  Try them and let us know what you think!

Ingredients

1 pound box dried pasta.  Once again, Mama Lanette likes the fun shaped stuff, much like a small child.

1 can cheddar cheese soup

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese.  I prefer sharp cheddar, but use whatever you have on hand or prefer.  You can even go with something other than cheddar if you want to get crazy!

1-1/2 cups milk or half-and-half

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add pasta.  Cook according to package instructions.  Drain.

 

While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine milk and the can of cheddar cheese soup.  Stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper if desired.  Mix in shredded cheese. 

Add drained, cooked pasta and combine gently until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Spoon mixture into a baking dish; 4 quart or cake pan size.  Top with Panko bread crumbs.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Turn oven on broil for a couple minutes if you want a nice brown top. 

Bam!  Ain’t that a nice looking pan of mac?  And YOU made it, so you can control what goes into it, and even better, what is going into the little tots’ bellies.  Use skim milk instead of whole or half-and-half if you want to cut the calories a bit.   I’m not saying this is a healthy dish, but sometimes food just tastes and feels better when you made it yourself and can attest to the ingredients.

Next week, freaks!  <3 Mama Lanette