Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t. I do know, though, that everyone has a preferred recipe. I think we are all mac and cheese snobs on some level. At least that would explain the gazillion versions of mac and cheese there are to be found.
When I was growing up, my mom had a quick version – macaroni, cream of mushroom soup, and American cheese slices. Definitely not gourmet, but still tasty. (That was my go-to quicky while raising my little people as well.) Occasionally we were treated to the mac and cheese from the blue box. I swore I could have lived on just that. But alas, I have evolved. I now prefer the homemade, baked-in-the-oven varieties.
I have been know to be a little competitive from time to time …… (understatement) …… so I had to put my version of mac and cheese out there. I don’t know that it will win any contest – I do know that it is my favorite version to date. (and I have eaten A LOT of mac and cheese). This concoction is a happy accident resulting from another one of my ‘what-do-I-have-to-throw-together’ dishes. Since we adore cheese, we usually have a wide selection of cheeses. In fact, we have a drawer in the fridge just for cheese. So on this particular day, while my husband grilled some burgers, I set to creating this mac and cheese that I now declare is the best I’ve had. Happy ending.
- 1 13.5 oz box macaroni
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup aged white cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/3 cup garlic croutons crushed
- salt and pepper to taste
- Cook the macaroni in boiling water about 6-8 minutes - a few minutes shy of al dente.
- Drain macaroni.
- In separate saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour.
- Whisk in and milk and cream and continue to heat.
- Add cheese, turmeric and salt and pepper.
- Stir until cheeses are melted and sauce is creamy.
- Coat a 3-quart casserole with butter or cooking spray.
- Combine macaroni and sauce
- Pour into casserole.
- Spread crushed croutons on top.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Since so many people are calorie counting, what would be the approximate count on a serving of this recipe? I am guess 300 minimum.
Karen, good question. Using the ingredients that I did (whole wheat macaroni, whole milk) and assuming 8 servings per recipe, each serving is close to 430 calories. Using 2% or low-fat milk and low-fat cheese will change that.