Yesterday was the first day back to school for both kids.  I decided to celebrate the first day by making my daughter’s favorite dish, macaroni and cheese.  She has been begging me to make plain, old-fashioned macaroni and cheese.  What she means by that is nothing added in – no shrimp, beef, tomatoes, veggies….

She also means using Velveeta Cheese.  Both of my kids hate American cheese and think it is “fake” cheese.  They have a fairly sophisticated palate for kids but sometimes they want what they want.  My daughter would never even consider using Velveeta on anything or eating it plain.  But, in her favorite macaroni and cheese?  This is it.

Verdict:

This is the most reliable macaroni and cheese I make.  It consistently has the creamy texture and familiar taste my kids want from time to time.   I did change-up the recipe a bit by using Sharp Cheddar Velveeta but it still had the creamy texture the kids love.

For my mostly gluten-free son I halved the recipe, omitted the flour and made his with gluten-free noodles and in his own casserole dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pasta
• 1 lb. Sharp Velveeta Cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 2 cups fat-free half and half
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSP melted butter
• 2 TBSP flour
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Boil pasta, to al dente, according to directions on package.
3. Drain pasta and return to pan.
4. Add Velveeta, Monterey Jack, Cheddar Cheese, flour, melted butter and half and half to pan with pasta.  Stir until all cheese is melted.  If needed return pan to heat but stir constantly to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Beat egg in a small dish before adding to pasta cheese mixture.  (Beat the egg to avoid it scrambling in the dish when you mix it in.)
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until top begins to brown slightly.  Allow pan to sit for 5 minutes before serving.