I know it’s been forever since I’ve shared a recipe with y’all. So what better time than when I’m posting every day for #NaBloPoMo?
I made this awesomeness for dinner last night, and Scotty loved it. Actually, it was his suggestion that I share this with you. Because he’s awesome.
If you’re on a restrictive diet, this may not be for you. But if you’re having a rough day, this is relatively simple. And it makes a ton, so it’s good for those upcoming holiday potlucks. Because, seriously, who doesn’t like mac n cheese?
http://instagram.com/p/vAHnONGiem/?modal=true
(I also made cream cheese frosted brownies for dessert because comfort food.)
Homemade Mac N Cheese (Shortcut Style!)
I boiled a one pound package of little shells. (Yes, I realize the name implies that it should be made with elbow macaroni, but I prefer little shells.) I salted the water heavily because you ALWAYS should salt your pasta water. I cooked the pasta just this side of al dente. You don’t want to cook the pasta too long, because it’ll become mushy when it bakes later.
Once I drained the pasta, I stirred in one jar of Prego Double Cheddar Cheese sauce and one regular sized can of Campbell’s Cheddar Cheese condensed soup, with no added water.
I then spread half of the pasta mixture in a 13×9 glass baking dish that I had sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I covered that layer with about 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Then I spread the rest of the pasta mixture, and covered that with 3/4 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese. (We like things cheesy around here.)
I covered the pan with foil and baked it at 350 F for 20 minutes. I then removed the foil, and baked it for another 10-15 minutes until it’s bubbling and the cheese is fully melted.
We had just this for dinner last night, but plan to serve the leftovers with BBQ pulled pork sammies later this week. Obviously you could make so many adjustments: You could add bacon, or ham. You could switch the style of pasta or the kinds of cheese. You could make your own cheese sauce rather than using store-bought.
I did it this way because it was easiest for my hands and my energy levels. I imagine there are some moms out there who wouldn’t mind a “homemade” mac n cheese that is as easy as what comes in the box, but sooooo much yummier, and makes a great big amount.
I hope you all enjoy this as much as Scotty and I did! How do YOU like your mac n cheese?
BecominNeurotic 
Love that you called it cooking with spoonies. this looks delicious! I need to share more recipes too, I love to cook and I review them with an RA Ease of Prep rating because it takes me twice as long to make anything with my mishapen hands. And no one ever tells you just how much cleanup is involved! It’s my goal during NaBloPoMo to share more recipes too. This looks yummy and I certainly wouldn’t mind the cream cheese brownie recipe! http://momssmallvictories.com/ra-test-kitchen-recipes/
Thanks Tanya! It was super easy as my fiance shredded the cheese for me. Probably the hardest part was draining the pasta, the pot was a bit heavier than I remembered. I look forward to trying your recipes, especially since we face many of the same struggles. As for the brownies, it was just a box mix with cream cheese frosting on top š Delicious and easy! (FYI I do a lot of box mixes because they are easiest for me.)
Shells and cheese are far superior to elbows. The cheese settles so nicely into the shells! That looks delicious.
Nichole- Exactly! It’s like little explosions of cheese in every bite! I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one š
Oh, YUM. I normally do a box of elbow macaroni mixed with a little milk, eggs and a lot of freshly shredded cheddar cheese. I loveeee homemade mac and cheese. (And I’m visiting from the FB group! Nice to “meet” you!)
Thanks for stopping by Jaime! (Nice to “meet” you as well!) I’ve tried it completely from scratch before, and it’s amazing, but I like to have shortcuts now to conserve my energy š
Home made Mac and cheese is my fave! Though it never quite turns out when I make it!
This is really fool proof! If I can do it while foggy and in pain, anyone can do it!
This just looks amazingly yummy! (of course!)
Mac and Cheese is always a favorite for me.
I promise to make this for you and your family the very day you come visit me, or I visit you. We’ll all sit around and laugh and smile over big bowls of cheesy yumminess ā¤
I prefer shells, also! This looks so yum. I’m glad you posted it. And that you enjoyed. I’ve been itching to make some mac-n-cheese and this might kick me to doing so soon.
I think the shells hold more of the sauce inside so you get little burst of cheese š I hope you get to make some soon, it was the perfect comfort food for us this week!
Yay for easy Mac and Cheese that sounds super tasty! I love easy food that tastes home made because I just don’t have the patience to go through all the steps.
Thank you Theresa! I’m the same as you, though the reason is usually that I don’t have enough energy to go through all the steps. So if I can have some shortcuts and things can be “kinda homemade” I’m all for it!