Saturday, December 13, 2008

Proof That I'm Not Martha

Here in Wisconsin, we are BIG fans of cheese, so when my friend Heather shared a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese, I decided to try it. Here's a pic of the ending the first time that I made it (grated cheddar on top).

And here's a pic of the text Kyle sent me from the bonus room, where he was eating some as a snack.

Who am I kidding? It was dinner; just dinner. No meat, no vegetables, nothing else. Just lazy-mom-at-the-computer supper tonight, kids scattered to the wind, etc. (See, I told you I can't lie!)

Do you think Martha Stewart serves macaroni and cheese as the entree? Probably not.

Anyway, here's how you, too, can be Super Mom. While you are cooking 2.5 cups of macaroni, gather your ingredients.

4 T butter (plus more for greasing your pan)
1/4 C flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2.5 C milk
8 oz of Velveeta (yes, I bought 10 times the amount I needed, accidentally)
1 1/3 C small curd cottage cheese
2/3 C sour cream
2 C shredded cheddar

(Plus Lactaid, for when you eat it, if you have something against stomach cramps due to dairy overexposure.)

The cup on the left contains the flour, salt, and sugar. Heather recommended cubing the Velveeta, which was smart. I just realized that the grated cheddar is missing from this photo.

Butter a 2.5 quart casserole dish.
  When the macaroni has been cooked and drained, pour it into casserole dish to await its bath.Then, melt the butter in the saucepan. Add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar) and cook over med high until nice and bubbly. Slowly add the milk, bringing to a boil and stirring quickly to avoid sticking on the bottom.
  Stir til thickened to your satisfaction. Then add the Velveeta and the grated cheese. I call this photo, "Phantom Cheese."

When the Velveeta has melted completely, add the sour cream and cottage cheese;
  stir until cottage cheese is melted, and remove from heat. Pour over cooked macaroni (I stirred it in a little.) For some reason, there's a ton of sauce left over when I make it,

so I just save it for a cheese milkshake later (Just kidding; I freeze it.)

Top with Panko breadcrumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter (This is my change to Heather's recipe, and my family wholeheartedly supports it; it adds a delightful crunch!)

Pop in oven, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for 30 minutes.

I would have taken a photo of the finished product with the beautifully-browned, breadcrumb topping, but we inhaled it too quickly.

Thanks, Heather!!

YUMMMM!
For a printable copy of the ingredients and directions only, click here.
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