4 Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

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.

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4 comments:

Jules said...

Yummmmmmmmmm! Thanks so much for sharing. Hope you guys are having a wonderful time, looks beautiful there!

Aileth said...

You have an amazing view! I would love to make that kind of dinner, with that many people, unfortunately my family wouldn't reach 10! Enjoy your stay!

ธนกร คุ้มคุณ said...

ชอบมากคะถูกใจจังเลยคะ

Lindsay said...

This has been my go-to recipe for mac & cheese for a few years now. It is sooo delicious and my family gobbles it up every time! :) This is my first time visiting your blog...I'm really enjoying and will become a follower. Thanks for sharing!

~Lindsay

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