The Cheesiest Mac and Cheese

 

 

I remember my Mom's mac and cheese well.  There was nothing else in this whole world like it. It was so cheesy and so smooth and creamy and didn't have that grainy taste like you find in so many recipes out there today. The flavors were real and it actually tasted like cheese! Want to know why?

Because she grated her own cheese!  She never used those bags of pre-grated cheese that have all the chemicals and added stuff. She actually bought blocks of cheese and brought out the old grater for all her cheesy dishes. Next time you're in a grocery store, compare a block of cheddar cheese with a bag of pre-shredded cheddar.  You'll find some extras you don't want to put in your recipe....like potato starch, cellulose powder, and calcium sulfate. No wonder you get that grainy taste or your mac and cheese ends up being too dry.

I don't remember ever seeing a bag of cheese in our kitchen.  As a matter of fact, I don't think I saw my first bag of cheese in the grocery store until I was much older. I always buy the block and grate what I need and then store the block in the freezer.  Then each time I need some cheese, I grate what I need and put it back.

So now you know.  If you want a delicious, cheesy and creamy mac and cheese dish, take the extra minute or two and grate it yourself!

The Cheesiest Mac and Cheese

1 (16 ounce) box of elbow or Cavatappi pasta
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups half and half (half cream/half whole milk)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup freshly grated Fontina cheese
1/2 freshly grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter or non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the flour is lightly browned. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half and half a little at a time. Stir 3-5 minutes while sauce thickens. Remove from the heat, season with the salt, pepper, dried mustard, and the grated Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.  

 

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a generous amount of salt and then pasta. Cook for about 5 minutes, until pasta is just slightly under cooked. Drain in a colander and return the pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir until melted and pasta is coated. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all the Fontina cheese with all the Gruyere, and only 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese and toss lightly to blend. Place one-third of the pasta in the bottom of the greased baking dish. Top with one-third of the mixed cheeses. Top with another third of the macaroni and another third of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining macaroni and cheese mixture. Finally top entire casserole with the remaining cup of sharp cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees on center rack of oven for about 45 minutes until cheese is hot and bubbly and fully melted.

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Mom’s Apple Walnut Stuffing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For years I have tried to duplicate the flavors of my Mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing.  I would get close each year but something was missing…not sure what it was but it just wasn’t the same.  But I never gave up trying.  Don’t get me wrong, my stuffing was delicious but there was just something about her recipe that made it 10 times better.  Was the yellow onion instead of the sweet onion I used?  Was it the Turkey stock instead of the chicken stock I used every year? Maybe it was the fresh sage leaves and not the dried.  Not sure what I did differently this year but FINALLY!  This is my Mom’s stuffing.  I might never know what exactly I did this year, but I know one thing… I’m holding on to this recipe!

 

Mom’s Apple Walnut Stuffing

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

5 to 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

4 cloves garlic, grated finely on a rasp

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

1 roll of Bob Evans Sage breakfast sausage

1 (12-ounce) bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped into small pieces

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 cups Swanson turkey broth

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large skillet, on medium heat, add the butter, onions, celery, thyme, and sage. Season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook until the onions and celery are tender (about 8 minutes).  Add in the grated garlic and stir for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the same skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spoon as you cook it. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, add in the apples and heat for another 5 minutes until apples start to soften. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the stuffing cubes and the beaten egg and stir to moisten. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the walnuts, cranberries, and parsley. Again stir to moisten. Add in the onion mixture to the bowl of stuffing mix and give it a stir to combine. Finally, pour the turkey stock over the mixture and give it a final stir to combine and moisten everything. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish and press down to compact it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 10-15 more minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from oven and fluff up with a fork.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve warm and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So Good!

 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

No Bake Éclair Cake

No Bake Éclair Cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Just five ingredients and you have the easiest dessert satisfies that craving for something cold and creamy and chocolatey. So easy to make and so good the next day too.

No Bake Éclair Cake

 1 box graham crackers around 14 ounces

2 boxes instant French Vanilla pudding mix 3.4 ounces each

8 ounces Cool Whip thawed

3 cups milk

16 ounces chocolate frosting

In a large bowl, mix together the pudding mix, Cool Whip, and milk. Beat well with a wire whisk until thick and creamy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add another layer of graham crackers and spread remaining pudding over the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the final layer of graham crackers and spread with chocolate frosting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

See notes for easy spreading tips!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. The longer this sets, the softer the graham crackers will get. 

 

 I like to leave it in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tips & Notes:

To make it extra easy to spread the frosting, remove the foil top from the packaging and microwave for 20 seconds or just enough to make the frosting very smooth and a bit runny. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like to use Honey Graham crackers for this recipe but you can use any brand and any flavor you like. You'll need enough graham crackers to make 3 layers in a 9×13 baking dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Plain vanilla pudding in place of French vanilla will work just fine. Just be sure to use the instant pudding mix and not the cooked variety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.