Classic Mac and Cheese

I wanted to share my Mom’s Classic Macaroni & Cheese recipe I served at my Cozy Lunch at Home party! Again, you could totally use shredded cheddar in this throw-back dish but…Velveeta is just really the way to go IMO.

Classic Mac and Cheese

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Serves 4

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups dry, short pasta
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
salt & pepper
2 cups skim milk
8oz Velveeta, cut into cubes

Directions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan then sprinkle in flour and dashes of salt & pepper. Whisk for 20-30 seconds, giving the flour taste a chance to cook out.
3. Gradually add milk in 4 or 5 batches, whisking well between each batch to avoid lumps. Cook on low, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick and bubbly. About 10 minutes.
4. Take saucepan off the heat and stir in Velveeta until melted. Add in cooked pasta, then pour mixture into a greased, 1 1/2 quart casserole dish (it will look like there’s too much sauce, but it will bake into the pasta.) Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is golden brown and bubbly!

SUPER short ingredient list and ridiculously easy to make. Tip: make sure you don’t leave the vicinity of the kitchen while your sauce is on the stove, as the milk will burn on the bottom of the pot if you don’t stir it often enough. Other than that – easy peasy…and SO cheesy! Sorry, I couldn’t resist…

In other news, remember the one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater?!

I know, so random, but it’s literally the first thing I thought of when I blended up my Blueberry Banana breakfast smoothie. It’s the exact same color!

In the mix:

• 1 Pomegranate Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze
• 1 banana
• ~1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Perfectly sweet,

and super refreshing.

No hair, no horn, but this person will be eating it.

PS aren’t the leaves in my neighbor’s yard pretty? Ben and I only have ONE tree between our front and back yard (nobody reminds you to think about those things when you’re picking out your first house in the winter) and it’s a pine tree, so we have to rely on our neighbor’s for pretty views of fall foliage!

The bright colors continue on into lunch. I’ve got some fresh veggies for crunching and leftover Italian Pasta Bake for devouring!

I ended up dipping this same blend of veggies in my almond butter yesterday. You wouldn’t think it, but broccoli is actually really good when dipped in AB! Ever tried it? This is the Dole Stir Fry Veggie Medley by the way. Love the crunch of the snap peas and carrot chips in there!

Oh I forgot to tell you – I added a BIG pinch of red pepper flakes into the turkey sausage in the Pasta Bake while it was simmering on the stove. The sausage was mild, so it gave the sauce a nice kick.

Ben liked this so much that he asked if we can include it in our regular rotation, along with BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and Tortilla Egg Scrambles. I agreed!!

Always need something for dessert, so today I’ll be enjoying a Kashi Pumpkin Pecan Granola Bar.

These babies are high fructose corn syrup free, and have a thick layer of pumpkin “goo” on top of the bar. TDF.

Happy Hump Day!

~~~~~

Let’s get technical: PC or Mac?

I use a PC at home, but a Mac at my new job. I’m already finding myself trying to do Mac shortcuts on my PC keyboard – ahh!!