Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This is another recipe that I grew up with.  It wasn't until recently that I found that most people make baked macaroni & cheese with eggs and/or flour.  This is really a much simpler and quicker way of making it with just a few ingredients.  My immediate family are real cheese lovers and we all get together at my house for holiday dinners, it was decided a long time ago that this isn't just a request but a demand for every holiday meal that we have no matter what the menu may be.  I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do.

Preheat oven to 350°

Ingredients  (for a 2 or 2.5 quart casserole dish)

1 box of elbow  macaroni (12 oz) 

2 lb. bag of mild cheddar cheese, shredded (or cheese of your choice)

1 tsp. of butter

¼ c of skim milk (you can use 2% or whole milk if you prefer)

½ c of canned evaporated milk

Salt & pepper to taste.

Instructions:

Cook macaroni in a pan of boiling water according to directions on the box until it’s done but still firm.

Drain.  Lightly spray baking dish with Pam.  Sprinkle approx. 2 hands full of cheese on the bottom then cover with a good layer of macaroni (about ¾ inch thick) then put just a small dab of butter close to each corner.  Lightly salt and pepper.  Then add another layer of cheese, macaroni, butter (close to the center this time) salt & pepper, continue layers until you end with the last of macaroni, save enough cheese for the top.  Then with your hand or large spoon gently toss the ingredients to lightly mix together but try to stay away from the cheese on the bottom.  Then put one last layer of cheese on the top.  Pour both milks evenly over all, (you can use 3/4 cup of the same kind of milk instead of 2 different, I just like using both).   Sprinkle a little more salt and pepper if desired, cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.  Place in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted then remove cover and let it lightly brown.

*Tips:

I grew up with my mother and grandmother making it this way so I don’t have a definite recipe with proper measures, I just throw it all together and according to what we like so you may need to adjust this to suit your taste or consistency.  I use a lot of cheese because that’s the way my family prefers it, by the time I’m done I will have used the whole 2 lb bag of cheese or close to it.  I use very little butter.  You may need to adjust the amount of milk, if you use a glass baking dish the milk needs to come up about ¼ of the way up from the bottom but ¾ cup is pretty close for that size baking dish.  If you get too much milk, carefully pour some of it off then cover & put it back into the oven for about 10 minutes.   When I cover the top with foil I spray the part of the foil that will be facing the cheese with Pam so that the melted cheese doesn’t stick to it.  

To make this recipe healthier:  Use whole grain macaroni, use fat free cheese and skim milk and low fat butter.  Use small amount of salt or no salt at all.   J  

You might need to make this once or twice to adjust it to the way you like and if you are a cheese lover, you will love it!

Grandma's Banana Nut Bread

Banana Nut Bread is a classic recipe. This recipe is my Grandma Dorman's recipe and has been handed down through several generations. It is moist and flavorful and wonderfully delicious.

Ingredients

1 c. shortening
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
5 very ripe (but not rotten) bananas, mashed
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 c. applesauce
4 c. sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Cream shortening and add sugar a little at a time.
2. Add eggs
3. Add mashed bananas, nuts, and applesauce
4. Combine sifted dry ingredients and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour batter into 2 greased bread pans.
6. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center of your loaves.

Potato & Dumpling Soup

Here is a hardy and filling recipe for potato soup.  This can be eaten alone, as a side dish, or just add a salad.  There are so many variations that can be made to this soup and this particular variation is the original recipe with the added dumplings.  If you want to make a more healthy version of this recipe you can always add some vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower and maybe some ham to make a great one dish meal.  My family likes it just the way it is with some hot rolls or just crackers.  To me, this is comfort food at it's best!  :) 

Make dough for drop dumplings:

1 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

Combine all ingredients and add enough cold water 1 Tbsp. at a time to make a

stiff, sticky dough.   Set aside.

Ingredients for soup:

½ tsp. salt

4 ribs of celery

1 small onion – diced

1 to 1 ½ cups of sliced carrots (I use baby carrots)

Peel and dice about 5 medium potatoes rinse and set aside in some water.

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp. dried parsley

¼ c. canned milk

Salt & Pepper to taste

Fill a 2 qt. pan ¾ of the way full with water, add celery, onion & carrots.  Bring water to a boil.  Once it reaches a rapid boil, drop approx. ¼ tsp.  of dough into boiling water  until you have used all the dough.  Reduce heat a little bit and let that cook for about 20 to 30 minutes.  After the 20 to 30 minutes add potatoes, butter, &  parsley.   Cook just until the potatoes are done but firm – you don’t want then mushy.  Take off the heat and slowly add canned milk if you want it thicker you can add 1 tsp of cornstarch mixed with a little bit of water.