Perhaps one of the reasons I have such an obsession with the one and only Paula Deen and her recipes is because I really should have been born in the South. Now, my political beliefs certainly don't align with the red states. And I'm a high-strung, race-through-life East Coast girl though and through. But my taste buds? I think they're firmly rooted in the lower half of this awesome country of ours that gave control of Congress to the Democrats this week! Woot! Holla! Hurray!
Okay, getting back on topic. I love me some barbeque. I love cornbread. And I love fried chicken. But my number one Southern comfort food of choice is macaroni and cheese. I *heart* macaroni and cheese like nobody's business. I order it when we go out for barbeque all the time. But the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had comes from my stepmother's recipe.
Now, I'll warn you. It takes awhile to make. There's a lot of stirring of the cheese sauce involved. But trust me when I tell you the end product is worth waiting for. It has loads of flavor, tons of cheese, and is very filling. And while I generally make an attempt to eat as healthfully as possible, this macaroni and cheese? Is not. But it makes a great once-and-awhile indulgence.
Give it a try.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
8 oz package of elbow macaroni
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
Dash of pepper and salt
2 cups of milk
2 cups of Kraft Deluxe sliced cheese (not the individually wrapped kind)
1 TBSP finely chopped onion (fresh or dry)
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain well, and place in 2-quart cassarole dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Melt butter in medium sauce pan, remove from heat. Slowly add flour and salt and pepper. Return pan to medium heat, and slowly add milk, and start stirring (about 15 minutes) until mixture is smooth and thickened.
4. Add cheese, onion, and Worchestershire sauce, stirring constantly over low-medium heat until cheese melts and gets thick.
5. Pour cheese mixture over macaroni, top with breadcrumbs, and bake about 25 minutes, or until top is browned.
I usually make a double batch because it tastes equally good reheated for leftovers.
Okay, getting back on topic. I love me some barbeque. I love cornbread. And I love fried chicken. But my number one Southern comfort food of choice is macaroni and cheese. I *heart* macaroni and cheese like nobody's business. I order it when we go out for barbeque all the time. But the best macaroni and cheese I've ever had comes from my stepmother's recipe.
Now, I'll warn you. It takes awhile to make. There's a lot of stirring of the cheese sauce involved. But trust me when I tell you the end product is worth waiting for. It has loads of flavor, tons of cheese, and is very filling. And while I generally make an attempt to eat as healthfully as possible, this macaroni and cheese? Is not. But it makes a great once-and-awhile indulgence.
Give it a try.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
8 oz package of elbow macaroni
3 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
Dash of pepper and salt
2 cups of milk
2 cups of Kraft Deluxe sliced cheese (not the individually wrapped kind)
1 TBSP finely chopped onion (fresh or dry)
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Directions
1. Cook macaroni according to package directions, drain well, and place in 2-quart cassarole dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Melt butter in medium sauce pan, remove from heat. Slowly add flour and salt and pepper. Return pan to medium heat, and slowly add milk, and start stirring (about 15 minutes) until mixture is smooth and thickened.
4. Add cheese, onion, and Worchestershire sauce, stirring constantly over low-medium heat until cheese melts and gets thick.
5. Pour cheese mixture over macaroni, top with breadcrumbs, and bake about 25 minutes, or until top is browned.
I usually make a double batch because it tastes equally good reheated for leftovers.
Oh Mac and Cheese how I love you. Madly.
There was a recipe up recently at smittenkitchen.com for baked macaroni and cheese as well...and I am thinking that it's all a sign that I need to make one of them this weekend.
Looks delish. A bit too involved for me. It's not that I don't LIKE cooking...it's not that I don't LOVE eating...I just prefer that someone else does the cooking and especially the cleaning up.
I have a tasty recipe for a pasta dish that EVERYONE loooooves...it involves your own sauce...but takes no prep time...and it's a no brainer. If anyone is interested, let me know- I will post it.
You sound like my kind of person on ALL counts ;)
I love to watch Paula's Kitchen, especially when her sons are on there. Her kitchen is to die for too.
I'm visiting you from Michele's blogroll today. Gonna swipe that recipe if you don't mind :)
Pasta is such comfort food, isn't. I made a pasta with carmelized onions and roasted peppers last night for dinner and it was delightful! I have yet to try mac-n-cheese, however, but I think I am convinced!
Funny you should mention individually wrapped Kraft sliced cheese. Barrett and I were discussing them the other night and although we used to eat them as kids, neither of us could recall the last time we bought/ate it. I think it's been well over a decade! We debated on whether it was called "cheese" or "cheese food." Does anyone know?
Oh, it looks delish! Sadly, I've already met my mac n cheese quota for the week, with fried macaroni at Friday's. It was good, too!
I love mac and cheese too. Don't knock on the south, things don't move quite as slowly as most people think!
Christine-I'll have to check out that other recipe. I'm always up for adding to the mac and cheese recipe collection.
M-Definitely post it! I'm interested.
Sher-My food photography pales in comparison to yours, but yes, it is delicious!
Carolyn-Oh yes, I love Paula's sons too. Have you seen their show "Road Tasted"? They're pretty adorable on it. And thanks for stopping by my blog!
Shannon-mmm... that sounds yummy. And I think the slices are actually cheese food, because there's no way that qualifies as real cheese.
Damselfly-I saw that advertised on tv, and I was wondering how it was. I'll have to give it a try.
Sunshine-Oh I know. It was more a commentary on me and my "never sit still" way of life than anything else. ;)