As I was pondering what to include in this month’s blog posts about dinner recipes, I went through a dozen ideas. The criteria to follow here is that it has to be relatively quick (under 1 hour preferably), and not difficult to make. Oh, and made from ingredients that you already have in your house anyway!
Ever heard of macaroni and cheese? Just kidding, of course you have!
When I first came to America I did not know what it was. I like pasta but we never had mac and cheese in Lithuania the way it is prepared here. One day, maybe a year or two into my life here, I complained to my sister-in-law that I am tired and out of ideas of what to make for dinner. She suggested mac’n’cheese, to which I responded: “What’s that?” No, she was not the one that introduced me to the recipe I am about to share with you. But the story is important because I learned about Kraft mac’n’cheese from her:) My first taste of the boxed quick fix-it-all dinner did not lie to me – it was really not good. But as time progressed, I got used to it, and what’s more important, the kids loved it and it was sure quick to make on a night when everyone is trying to even breathe after a day at work and driving to practices.
But the beauty of life is that the longer you live, the more your learn. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be, right? As I became more and more used to the way of life in suburban USA, I found new products, went to different potluck parties and observed a lot. What do people eat? How do they make it? At one of such parties, I tasted homemade mac’n’cheese. And my eyes opened! It was divine! Why didn’t I think of that? I could not get enough of it, and then I had to seek out the person who made it and their recipe, which was no easy feat:)
It took a while. But a friend reached out to another friend, whose mother was the maker of the recipe and I had it in my hands. And yes, I have stopped buying the mac’n’cheese from the store because of the ingredients it contains. Plus, nothing really beats homemade, especially, when it takes about the same time to make anyway.
I tweaked the recipe a little to make it my own (the original called for American cheese, and I replaced it with Provolone cheese) and it has been a great hit.
Plus, if you are in the U.S. and like football, this Sunday is the Superbowl!! What does that mean? Well, lots of parties are gonna happen. Why not make this mac’n’cheese and add it to the already traditional spread of buffalo wild wings, pizza and chips and dip (yea, Doritos, I’m talking to you!).
Here is the recipe and I truly hope you enjoy it!
Simply Ieva
10 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 box (16 oz) elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp yellow mustard
- 3 cups of milk
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp of salt
- 2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4-5 slices provolone cheese
- 3/4 cup of breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring water to a boil, add pasta and cook until done (7-8 minutes).
- Stir butter and flour together in a pot over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until it becomes a golden paste.
- Add the mustard, milk, onion paprika and salt and mix everything well while cooking until it starts simmering. Then reduce the heat just enough to hold the simmer.
- Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and all of the Provolone cheese. Make sure the mixture is well combined.
- Add the pasta to the baking dish and cover it with the cheese mixture.
- Place the remaining cheese on top of the pasta, then add breadcrumbs and the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Wait 5 minutes before serving, if you can:)
- Enjoy!
Do you make homemade macaroni and cheese?
If so, what do you add?
Let me know in the comments!
And if you like it, share it! (Buttons are to your left:)
9 thoughts on “The Best Homemade Mac’n’Cheese You’ve Ever Tasted”
Comments are closed.