Have you made mac n’ cheese from scratch before? Hmmmmm, it’s by far the yummiest kind! And, it’s so easy too… I think you have guessed by now that my cooking generally hits three targets; easy, quick and nutritious. OK, sometimes I do try more interesting, exotic recipes but not very often. Our ‘daily bread’ is usually simple, fresh fare and now that it’s summer, even better if I can cook our dinner without making the house even hotter than it already is (yup… no aircon in this here house!)
Simple Mac n’ Cheese.
Ingredients:
Cheese Sauce:
* 3 T butter
* 3 T flour (white, wholewheat or whatever flour you prefer)
* 1 cup milk
* pinch of salt
* cup of grated cheddar cheese
Method:
Melt butter in saucepan. When melted, add flour and stir until mixed. Keep stirring until it becomes ‘frothy’ (usually just a few seconds). Add milk and stir to dissolve the butter/flour mixture. Keep stirring until sauce has thickened (if you want it a little lighter, not so thick, add a little more milk). Turn heat off and mix in grated cheese. Let the cheese melt, stir to make sure it’s all well mixed – Voila!
Serve over your choice of cooked noodles. We love these small o ones as they take so much of the yummy sauce… it get stuck in the middle of the o’s, it coats them… ooooh, yum!
However, A Good Man is a “meat” man… he can’t imagine himself satisfied if his plate doesn’t contain at least a little symbol of meat. So, when it’s Mac n’ Cheese night for the kids, it’s Cheese Carbonara for the parents.
I saute some onion, add a couple of cloves of garlic and a handful of shredded ham.
Add to our portion of the Mac n’ Cheese and YUM! Of course, you can get fancy on me… you can add all sorts of veggies and meat to your Mac n’ Cheese… one of my friends favorite favorites is to add diced cherry tomatoes and avocado. I have tried this and must add that it is a MUST try!
Enjoy!
Don’t forget to enter the Fairy Garden Competition. It ends on August 15, so you still have a week to make your very own magical Fairy Garden with your kids to be in to win all of those fabulous prizes… Click on the button for more details.
Blessings and magic,
Donni
10 Responses
We add a little mustard powder into the sauce when we make it. And sometimes cayenne, paprika, sage, curry. Not all at the same time (though sometimes…) – I add whatever strikes me as a good idea at the time. Yum!
I used to do it this way, until I found an even easier way…mix flour and grated cheese (I do this with my fingers) pour on the milk and a little butter (I use hardly any). Cook until think. I love loads of black pepper in mine.
It looks gorgeous and I am now having a real craving for it!! Your carbonara way sounds delish, and would be a way to “mix up” cauliflower cheese!!
xx
ps I am visiting from the recomendation from Childhood Magic
I was raised on velveeta macaroni and cheese and feel like my life is a quest for the holy grail of homemade, real food mac that tastes as good. I haven’t found it yet. Sigh. My compromise these days is Annie’s box mac and cheese, but your post may inspire me to try real mac and cheese again.
I love to add all kinds of goodies to my mac. Broccoli or green beans, frozen veggies of ever stripe, hot dogs, sausage, bacon (ohh.. bacon mac), ham, leftover cooked spinach or kale, sliced tomatoes. Yum.
Thanks for the easy recipe. Looks good!
I grew up with a very simple mac and cheese : slices of cheese over buttered noodles and tomato chunks, baked in the oven until warm and melted. So comforting at the end of the day, and the carb overload puts me right to sleep.
White pepper is yummy too, and I second the dry mustard suggestion.
Mac and cheese is such an easy all time favourite isnt it!? I dont know many kids that dont like it.
ahh the simple things in life…i suddenly REALLY feel like this NOW. I love that your man is a meat man too, it makes me laugh that i can add a few strips of bacon to almost anything and mine will eat it!
it is a very good way to do the homemade cheese, you must be a ingenious person, and i will have a try, thank you very much for sharing!
Oh yes a very famous dish in South Africa, my mom always made it added with mince and baked in the oven.. I made it the other day for my children. they loved it.
Oh yes a very famous dish in South Africa, my mom always made it added with mince and baked in the oven.. I made it the other day for my children. they loved it.
Oh yes a very famous dish in South Africa, my mom always made it added with mince and baked in the oven.. I made it the other day for my children. they loved it.