Yummmm....Mac and Cheese

Nothing says "comfort" like a bowl of mac and cheese. Unfortunately, for many people that comfort comes with a price of a long night cooking in the kitchen! Like most of the meals around here, this one is quick & easy. It's often the dinner I call on when I don't feel like cooking. So, feel free to have an easy night with mac and cheese!

When you get comfortable making this, stop measuring everything. That will make your night even easier because there will be less dishes! :) After all, if you're anything like me you despise dishes. In fact, I don't even have a recipe for this- I always make it how I feel. I'm going to do my best to guess.

1/2 box of Barilla Plus elbow noodles (yes, they cost a little more but they pack a healthy punch, and the high protein content means you'll fill up and therefore eat less)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (the normal size- not the family size)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cut minced onion
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 TBSP butter
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley

Boil pasta according to box (for Barilla Plus, 7 minutes). While pasta is boiling, make topping by melting the butter in a small bowl and mixing in breadcrumbs and herbs. Then add 1/3 cup cheddar cheese into the topping. Save for later. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees when you're done making topping. Drain pasta in a colander, and let it sit there while you use the same pot to make the cheese mix. Over medium low, mix milk and flour together in the pot well (I use a bodum milk frother) and then add in salt and pepper to taste, onion, and garlic. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour noodles into the cheese mix in the pot and coat well. If the mix it too watery, stir some more flour into the mix. Dump this all into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the topping on, and bake for 20 minutes.

Some notes on this dish: Use what you have, don't worry if you're trying new things! If you don't have bread crumbs, just top with some cheese. You can also top with a different kind of cheese, like the sprinkle Parmesan used on pizzas. If you don't have onion or garlic, that's ok too. Some people mix in squash, which sweetens it, but if you have a picky eater you sneek in the veggies for a hearty meal. My family gladly gobbles down a can of green beans or some other simple veggie with this for dinner.

This recipe will feed about 6 people.