Baked Mac & Cheese
For my f-listies who claim they "can't cook" . . . izhilzha? I'm lookin' at you.
Well, okay, five if you count the seasoning. And I'll even make notes so you can keep your measuring to a minimum.
3 T. butter (Unopened sticks of butter have the tablespoons marked on the wrappers.)
2 c. macaroni, uncooked
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (Kraft shredded cheese comes packaged in 2-cup measurements.)
4 c. milk (That's one quart, you know.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter; add uncooked macaroni and stir well to coat macaroni.
Put into a deep 2-quart greased casserole dish.
Add cheese, salt and pepper and milk.
Stir. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Uncover and continue to bake for 30 minutes more.... until desired
tenderness.
Using uncooked macaroni makes this a simple, quick, easy dish!
Cousin J and mi madre found this in the Pine Grove COB (Church of the Brethren) Cookbook. Don't know where they got the book (to my knowledge, none of my family is CoB), but church cookbooks have some of the best, easiest recipes.
My own notes on the recipe: I use whole wheat pasta, so the cooking time is a little different. I bake for the first 30 minutes and the second 30 minutes as directed, then I turn off the oven and leave the casserole in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Then, after I take it out of the oven, I let it sit for a few minutes to set. My mom uses the extra-protein pasta (like Barilla Plus) and had to bake approximately 30 minutes extra.
If you're used to the creamy-cheesy mac&cheese like Kraft or Velveeta, this is very different in appearance and texture. But it is totally numlicious, and it's made from scratch, which is always a win.
Well, okay, five if you count the seasoning. And I'll even make notes so you can keep your measuring to a minimum.
3 T. butter (Unopened sticks of butter have the tablespoons marked on the wrappers.)
2 c. macaroni, uncooked
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (Kraft shredded cheese comes packaged in 2-cup measurements.)
4 c. milk (That's one quart, you know.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter; add uncooked macaroni and stir well to coat macaroni.
Put into a deep 2-quart greased casserole dish.
Add cheese, salt and pepper and milk.
Stir. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Uncover and continue to bake for 30 minutes more.... until desired
tenderness.
Using uncooked macaroni makes this a simple, quick, easy dish!
Cousin J and mi madre found this in the Pine Grove COB (Church of the Brethren) Cookbook. Don't know where they got the book (to my knowledge, none of my family is CoB), but church cookbooks have some of the best, easiest recipes.
My own notes on the recipe: I use whole wheat pasta, so the cooking time is a little different. I bake for the first 30 minutes and the second 30 minutes as directed, then I turn off the oven and leave the casserole in the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes. Then, after I take it out of the oven, I let it sit for a few minutes to set. My mom uses the extra-protein pasta (like Barilla Plus) and had to bake approximately 30 minutes extra.
If you're used to the creamy-cheesy mac&cheese like Kraft or Velveeta, this is very different in appearance and texture. But it is totally numlicious, and it's made from scratch, which is always a win.