American Idol mac & cheese
Why I Love This Recipe
Just as easy as Kraft dinner but with nutritional content! This dish sustained me through my first pregnancy (in 2003) and was a Tuesday night ritual along with "American Idol," hence the name.
Ingredients You'll Need
3/4 c skim milk
6 oz American cheese* (about 9 slices Kraft Deluxe)
1 tbsp flour
Fresh ground pepper
1 c dried macaroni
* if you use cheddar or other cheeses, the sauce will be lumpy. You can toss a little in for flavor (I like to top the baked version w/ a shredded colby/jack mix) but I recommend real American cheese. No cheese food product!
Directions
Whisk the flour into the milk & pour into saucepan over very low heat. Add cheese. Meanwhile boil water for noodles. Add macaroni to boiling water. Make sure cheese sauce doesn't burn. Drain noodles when tender and add to sauce.
Variations:
- For baked m&c, prepare the same as above only increase milk to 1 cup and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. You could garnish with tomato slices around the edges, For a crunchy topping, combine some bread crumbs & parmesan cheese & sprinkle on top.
- Brown some Vidalia onion and add to cheese sauce. Adds a nice kick.
