BS in the Kitchen

Not From a Blue Box: Homemade Mac & Cheese

by

Over the years, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with a little blue blox. Yes we have all had it, Kraft Dinner. There would be periods of time where I wouldn’t touch this stuff with a 10 foot pole and other times where I couldn’t get enough – give it to with ketchup, tuna, hot dogs, whatever, I just loved KD. Now, how many people out there have had the real meal deal? Probably not many, so why don’t you try this easy recipe for yourself and experience the magic of what Macaroni & Cheese is really supposed to taste like!

Let’s get to the recipe…

What ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1 cup Cream (if you want to lighten it, substitute with milk)
  • 2 cups Milk
  • 3 tbsp of Kraft Mustard (or 1 tbsp Mustard Powder)
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1-2 tsp Course Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Finely Chopped Onion
  • 3-4 tsbp Flour
  • 15 oz Shredded Cheese (a sharp cheddar will do fine, but in true BS fashion, any kind should work)
  • 2 oz Parmesan Cheese
  • 3 cups Macaroni
  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 1/2 cup Panko crumbs

Now let’s get to the steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
  2. Boil your macaroni in a large pot of water. Make sure the water is heavily salted (i.e. 3-4 tbsp of salt – yes, that much). Cook macaroni until done (just be sure not to over cook), drain and pour into a large glass bakeware pan.
  3. In a medium sized saucepan, bring to a light boil: cream, milk, onion, paprika, onion, flour & mustard. As the mixture begins to boil, be sure to whisk to smooth out any lumps or bumps.
  4. Once the mixture has had a chance to boil, remove from heat for 6-10 minutes to allow it to thicken up a bit.
  5. Put cream mixture back onto a medium heat and add half the cheese. Stir until smooth. Continue to add the remaining cheese and parmesan.
  6. In a small saucepan, brown your panko crumbs by melting the butter, adding the panko and stirring over a medium-high heat until lightly browned.
  7. Pour the cheese sauce over the macaroni, sprinkle with a handful of shredded cheese and top with panko bread crumbs. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Take out & serve!

Fresh Out of the Oven

Welcome back to childhood memories,

Carlene