Thursday, July 19, 2012

My new favorite mac & cheese recipe

Okay, so I am pretty excited about this discovery. If you know anything about me, you know I am obsessed with Macaroni & Cheese. We used to make so much fun of my grandma when we were little because she absolutely could not cook Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to save her life! She was the greatest cook and could make anything from scratch - but being the finicky kids we were we always wanted Kraft Mac & Cheese to go along with our fresh vegetables and homemade biscuits. Fast forward ten years and somehow I have inherited my little grandma's problem! I always tell my family "real cooks can't cook boxed food!" I'd like to think that was true... but I know better. I can cook almost anything except Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Crescent Rolls. I hate crescent rolls. Bizarre, I know. Just ask Haley. It makes me cringe just thinking about those doughy little things.

Anyway, point of the story is I would much rather make real mac and cheese any day. It's just so good. I made it many college night and ate it for several days. It's just so good, right? For the past few years my staple recipe has been this one from OK Cafe. I'm a big fan of ranch so I love that aspect of the recipe. This version is delicious but not quite creamy enough for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not fond of soupy macaroni, but I like a little creaminess. I have pinned several mac and cheese recipes straight from pinterest and from many different sites but this one really caught my eye. I was intrigued that the recipe called for chicken broth and knew it had to be delicious! Boy was I right! 

Once again, I apologize for the horrible iPhone pictures! I promise I'll do better!



ps, the chicken doesn't look too appetizing but it's delicious. Click below for the link



If you're like me and hate opening up multiple pages here you go:


Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese
1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni
1 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. swiss, grated
1 c. monterey jack cheese, grated
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tsp. onion salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl, stir together the macaroni,  milk, and chicken broth.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix together using a large wooden spoon.  Pour into a very large, deep casserole dish.  Bake uncovered in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked.  Turn oven broiler on for the last two minutes of cooking time to brown up the top part of the mac and cheese.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Next go around I would probably add some sea salt and parsley, but that's just me. I was a little worried about all that cream cheese, but trust me - it is delicious! It's what makes it so creamy. Just make sure you get it mixed well before pouring it in the pan. A word to the wise, go ahead and get the biggest bowl you have to mix. I made a huge mess!

Now, I'm off to have some of this deliciousness for lunch! :)




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