4 Baked Macaroni & Cheese

I'm taking a quick break in the air conditioning to jump on and say hi! As I mentioned on my Facebook page, I'm at the lake for a week at our family reunion. My grandfather is 90 years old tomorrow, and I happened to turn 29 for the second time yesterday ;) It's been so fun, minus having to shop for all new toiletries after I forgot my fully-packed case at home on the bathroom counter. So, we've been doing a LOT of cooking. I mean, we have between 20-30 people to feed for dinner every night! The other night I made paella, and added some beautiful shrimp.

This post is going to be about my baked mac 'n cheese, but I also made some delicious crab-stuffed mushroom caps that everyone loved, a post which will come later.  No step-by-step this time, just before and afters. :)


The inspiration recipe comes from Patti LaBelle, via Oprah.  I just had to try it a few years ago, and it has stuck, with a few modifications, and become a family favorite.  One recipe serves 4 to 6, and I tripled it to feed all our family last night.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound small shell pasta
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded (or chopped) Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Pepper Jack (or regular, un-spicy, if you prefer)
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the shell pasta and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well and return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Before:

And the luscious after:

Now, I leave you with an evening view from our lake house.