This is my cold-weather lunch recipe. I made it last year to keep us warm as we cheered on Canada in the Olympics in February. I made it this year to welcome fall and again today to ward away the discomfort of my slight head cold. It is simply yummy and oh-so satisfying.
This recipe is from Carol, our babysitter and friend. Her instructions start with microwave cooking and end in the oven. I never cook in the microwave except this recipe. But it could easily be done on the stove top, I just haven't done it that way yet. So I will give you the recipe as is and you can decide how you would like to make it.
Creamy Macaroni
1 cup macaroni or more
4 cups water in saucepan
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 small onion chopped finely
2 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 tsp. salt (you can add a bit more after you make it the first time. I do)
2 cups milk
4 oz. of cream cheese or 1/4 cup sour cream, (I don't measure this either and I usually just use sour cream because it mixes in easy.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese( I also mix in mozzarella cheese sometimes)
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender, remove and drain. So far I have used elbow and small shell and the consistency is the same.
In a microwave safe dish, cook butter, flour, onion, mustard and salt for about a minute. Stir in milk and return to cook in microwave for about 3-4 minutes, stirring a couple of times until cream sauce is thickened. (You are making a white sauce so it can easily be done on your stovetop.)
Add in cream cheese OR sour cream, shredded cheeses and combine until cheese is melted and mixed well. Then add in cooked macaroni and stir until evenly combined.
Melt remaining butter with bread crumbs and spread over the creamy macaroni.
Bake at 350 for around 20 minutes or less. The top should be golden, sizzling, and bubbly around the edges of the dish.
Depending on serving size and number of second helpings, it makes enough for at least four adults, but there are no guarantees and certainly it does not include who gets to scrape the dish for the last little bits. Oh yes.
I experimented today by adding freshly dried thyme to a small portion baked separately which tasted very good. So feel free to experiment by adding other flavors, there is enough creamy sauce to handle the extra goodness.
Creamy Macaroni
1 cup macaroni or more
4 cups water in saucepan
3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
1 small onion chopped finely
2 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 tsp. salt (you can add a bit more after you make it the first time. I do)
2 cups milk
4 oz. of cream cheese or 1/4 cup sour cream, (I don't measure this either and I usually just use sour cream because it mixes in easy.)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese( I also mix in mozzarella cheese sometimes)
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender, remove and drain. So far I have used elbow and small shell and the consistency is the same.
In a microwave safe dish, cook butter, flour, onion, mustard and salt for about a minute. Stir in milk and return to cook in microwave for about 3-4 minutes, stirring a couple of times until cream sauce is thickened. (You are making a white sauce so it can easily be done on your stovetop.)
Add in cream cheese OR sour cream, shredded cheeses and combine until cheese is melted and mixed well. Then add in cooked macaroni and stir until evenly combined.
Melt remaining butter with bread crumbs and spread over the creamy macaroni.
Bake at 350 for around 20 minutes or less. The top should be golden, sizzling, and bubbly around the edges of the dish.
Depending on serving size and number of second helpings, it makes enough for at least four adults, but there are no guarantees and certainly it does not include who gets to scrape the dish for the last little bits. Oh yes.
I experimented today by adding freshly dried thyme to a small portion baked separately which tasted very good. So feel free to experiment by adding other flavors, there is enough creamy sauce to handle the extra goodness.
Heather - This sounds delicious. I came across a recent recipe where you add Boursin herb cheese (prepackaged, I know, not the best,) and roasted cauliflower. It's delicious and the last time I made it the twins brought 4 friends from school and they polished off the entire thing. Thanks for continuing to write. Hope all is well with everybody.
ReplyDeleteLinda, thanks for the tip about cauliflower and herbed cheese, something to try. We will soon be hitting those hungry teen years, so I will take your anecdote as a warning. :) Love to you and your family. Thanks for stopping by and reading here.
DeleteAh yes... I think I ate that right out of the pot the last time I was at your house? I think I may have eaten the left overs in several kids' bowls as well? Butter - it is just plain old good.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad it worked out, even by accident that you were here when we were eating it. :) Let's make some for our cookie night!!
DeleteYUM. Made this recipe again tonight (2nd time!) I'm going to add it to our fall/winter recipe collection. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Heather!
Made this recipe again tonight... (Thank you!) And I had made it for a New Years Day potluck with Mark's family last year, and afterwards his cousin came up to me and asked for the recipe, so I emailed it to her later. This year she came up to me and told me she makes it ALL THE TIME, as do all of her friends who have asked her for the recipe. :) So clearly this is a popular one. Thank you, friend.
ReplyDeleteps- Been praying for your friend Katie.
~Stacy
It really is ridiculously good. So glad you enjoy it too! And thanks for praying, it's a new path which you know you're put, never to be the same again. xoxo
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