While I'm getting caught up on everything, I wanted to share one of the many recipes I made for the large group at the lake. When hosting that many people, I usually look for recipes I can prep ahead of time, that are easy to make, can feed a lot, and taste yummy. For lunch, I made a super easy and tangy Mac & Cheese.
Mr. Bear and I love homemade mac & cheese. I've made it several ways, my favorite being a Vermont white cheddar version with pumpernickel croutons on top, however, that version takes FOREVER to make. You have to grate a block of cheese without nicking your fingers, you have to make a roux and then a bechamel sauce, you have to cut up nice pumpernickel and create garlic croutons. It is a process and is reserved for fewer than 4 people. I'll post that one this winter.
A big pan of mac and cheese really does go a long way though so I've been making the recipe below for years when we want a quick mac and cheese fix. It is a conglomeration of a recipe found here, one from Heinen's grocery stores, and my own tweaks. I love this recipe because I can prep the ingredients, stick them in a freezer bag and when I'm ready to serve just bake the mac in a 13x9 pan.
Easy and Tangy Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
1 lb (16 oz) elbow macaroni, cooked as directed and drained
2 cups (16 oz) grated SHARP cheddar cheese + additional for topping (optional)
1 package (24 oz) of fat free small curd cottage cheese
1 package (16 oz) light or fat free sour cream (I like Daisy Brand)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (can be grated or shredded)Seasoned Salt
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cracked black pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Take cooked pasta and set aside to cool
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cheddar, cottage cheese, sour cream and parmesan cheese. Mix well
4. Add pasta into mix and thoroughly combine, ensuring all pieces of pasta are coated
5. Sprinkle a light layer of seasoned salt, a layer of garlic powder, a layer of onion powder, and about 4-5 cranks of the pepper mill onto the cheese and pasta mix. Mix well and taste a small portion.
6. Repeat step 5 until you can distinctly taste the seasoning without over salting. This varies each time I make it, depending on the cheese brands used. Just be sure to take a small taste of the pasta mixture before adding additional seasonings. I'm heavy handed on the garlic, onion and pepper. I try to only use as much seasoned salt as necessary to slightly taste it. Salt can always be added by each person after the fact.
7. Pour pasta mixture into a greased 13x 9 pan, distributing evenly
8. (Optional) if desired, sprinkle some additional cheddar on top of the dish. This will create a nice bubbly crust.
9. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges are browned and the topping is bubbly.
Tips:
1. Make sure to use sharp cheddar. Cheddar cheese mellows out as you cook it. You will lose the flavor if you use mild cheddar in this recipe.
2. Although I try to use light or fat free ingredients in this recipe to cut down calories, don't try to make this with the fat free cheddar. It will not melt and you will be stuck with something not delicious.
3. If you are feeling adventurous, add a few splashes of hot sauce (I like Frank's Red Hot) to your pasta mixture. Cheddar cheese and hot sauce go really nicely together.
4. Instead of topping with cheddar, you could also replace with a Cheeze-It crumb topping (mix melted butter and Cheeze-It crumbs). Not low cal, but really delicious.
5. Tweak the recipe as necessary for your taste. This is a great starting recipe, but you can do so much to it. Broccoli would be delicious in the dish, or change up your seasonings. If you don't have enough cheddar, mix in other cheeses. Mozzarella makes the cheese really melty. This recipe is really flexible.
-Danielle
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