Wednesdays Unplugged – Awesome Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Quotecup
 

"An optimist is the human personification of spring." ~ Susan J. Bissonette

 

 

NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It's my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian 'Quote Cup' passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, and sometimes some photos of family fun. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!

Easter2014

Easter last Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day! We celebrated at three different Lutheran churches that morning… Bethlehem, Westwood and Gloria Dei. All had wonderful services with glorious music. We gathered for dinner afterwards at our son's home… very nice day.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

I have been on a longtime quest for an awesome 'keeper' macaroni and cheese recipe. Most recipes I have found have a cream sauce base made with a flour roux, which I don't like for mac and cheese… I think it should be about the cheese, not a sauce. This one I made last week from Country Living is the best I have found yet. Each time we had some leftovers both my husband and I talked about how good it was… signs of a keeper recipe!  Buy good quality cheese… it's all about the cheese, don't settle for a bag of orange shredded cheese. I used CABOT Vermont sharp white cheddar (from Costco).

AWESOME BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

  • 1 pound rotini Mac-and-cheese
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 8 counces cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded high quality sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded smoked Gouda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Strain the pasta, rinse with cold water to cool and prevent clumping, drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Combine the milk, cream cheese, butter, pepper and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until butter and cream cheese have melted, about 10 minutes. Toss the Cheddar and Gouda with the pasta, add hot milk mixture and stir until well combined.

Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish and bake until the macaroni is set and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – EmailMinneapolis Realtor Who Cooks

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I love what I do! Highly insightful, analytical and creative, there is nothing I love more than helping you find the right solution for your real estate transition. My mission is to serve my clients with honesty and integrity, exceeding their expectations in service and support… and to help others by donating a portion of every transaction to Habitat for Humanity.

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