Monday, November 1, 2010

This is turning into a recipe blog.

A friend wanted the recipe for the macaroni and cheese my daughter took to school today, so here it is.  Actually, she said,"I must have the recipe!  I almost licked D's container at lunch..."  So, you know who you are and here's the recipe.  It makes a generous 13 x 9 pan.  The original recipe, years ago, was plenty for my family of six, with leftovers for my lunch the next day.  I've increased the recipe a good bit, because now my kids eat a lot more and there weren't any leftovers to fight over!  It's that good...

2 c. small elbow macaroni
2 c. 1/2" cubes sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 oz.)
1/4 c. flour (I use Wondra because it's smoother)
2 t. salt
2 t. dry mustard (or use about 1 T prepared dijon mustard)
1/2 t. pepper
scant 1/4 t. cayenne pepper (or use Tabasco)
scant 1/4 t. nutmeg (really, go light on this, somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4 t.)
2 c. half-and-half
2 c. whipping cream (yes there are about a million creamy delicious calories in this!)
1 c. sour cream (light is okay here if you must)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 t. Worcesteshire sauce
2 c. grated cheddar cheese (or whatever you deem appropriate for the topping)

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Drain and place in a Pyrex 13 x 9 pan.  Add the cubed cheese and mix.

Mix the dry ingredients.  If you are using prepared mustard and Tabasco wait to add them with the sour cream.  Then whisk in the 1/2-and-1/2, whipping cream, and all the other ingredients down to the Worcesteshire sauce.  Pour over the noodles and cheese.  Top with grated cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.  Check it during the last five minutes.  You want it to be wobbly in the center when you take it out of the oven.  Let the mac and cheese stand for about ten minutes before digging in.  Enjoy!

Wish I had a picture of the bubbly creamy goodness but I wasn't thinking. This is what I fixed for dinner last night (Halloween).  I had six excited kids at my house who couldn't will the sun to set any faster.  They were impatient but I knew they needed to eat before they headed out.  This was yummy enough to get their attention, and with some baked ham and green beans I felt like they wouldn't be completely sugar-overloaded.

Bon appetit!  Maybe some shop blogging a little later...We had an amazing sale last week.  I learned a lot and it went really well, far beyond my expectations.

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