Easy Mac and Cheese with Chicken
There is something to be said for Kraft Mac and Cheese. That’s right. I said it. Come on people. You know you love it. It’s the cheesiest and it doesn’t stick to your cookware like real cheese does. I honestly and truly like, and sometimes I even crave the unnatural orange colored pasta dish in its blue box of goodness. However, there are times when a girl needs to eat mac and cheese made from scratch. This macaroni and cheese recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens website.
I loved the crunchy breadcrumbs on top of this dish. The sauteed onions and garlic mixed with tomato paste give the sauce a richer flavor that is more than just milk and cheese. I used 2% milk and half swiss, half sharp cheddar with a great resulting flavor. I cooked the chicken in chunks, but ended up kind of shredding it into smaller pieces before adding it to the cheese. The recipe calls for penne or similar pasta, but I used traditional elbow macaroni.
I asked my mom where this recipe originated but she doesn’t really know. Her mom made it when she was young, and I plan to make it for my kids…whenever they choose arrive.
My friendship bread starter made it to day 10, and it was ready to be transformed into two delicious loaves of bread. I loyally stirred and added flour, sugar and milk every day I was supposed to. I was pretty excited about it this evening. It was a long day at school…I got there at 7:30 am and did not come home from school until 7:00 pm. After I got home, Ben and I went to dinner with a friend of his who’s staying with us tonight to break up his car trip from Colorado to Waco. We got home from dinner at 9. The excitement of the bread had subsided a bit yielding to the excitement of sitting on the couch and not doing a thing. I forced myself to go into the kitchen and just get it done.
Foodiesphere: What is the term for animal innards and extremity meats included in British chef Fergus Henderson’s 2004 cookbook The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating? Offal (pronounced like “awful”)
Food Stars: What type of crustacean is Sebastian, who lands on a first course dinner plate in The Little Mermaid? Crab
Company’s Coming: What sweet, red-pepper spread is a picnic-sandwich tradition in the southern U.S.? Pimento cheese
Lab and Field: How much time, according to a 2003 survey, did Americans age 15 and older spend eating and drinking per day? About 73 minutes (this seemed short to me…)
Dining Out: What is often served accompanied with baguettes, nuts and condiments made of fruit paste? A cheese plate
What’s Cooking: What distinguishes classic French-style rolling pins from classic American-style pins? Handles! American pins have them and French pins do not.