Auntie Em’s Famous Mac and Cheese

We had “dinner on the grounds” today after church- that what we in the South sometimes call covered-dish lunches. These lunches are often the place to try new recipes and bring out the fanciest dishes, which can lead to problems if you have picky little eaters in your family!

When my kids were little, I wanted to make sure they had something they liked, so I started bringing a big pot of mac and cheese. And kept on bringing it!  It’s always scraped clean, and it was today. So here you go– your cast of characters:

1. Get a Dutch oven or stock pot and put lots of water in it.

2. Add a tablespoon of salt and bring it to a full, rolling boil. (HINT: It will come to a boil faster if you cover it.)

3. Add a 1-pound box of macaroni; stir it! It will come back to a boil quickly, then continue to boil on high 6-7 minutes. (If you are new to this, don’t put the lid on or you will get an overflowing pot and a big starchy mess!)

4. While that’s cooking, put about 2 cups whole milk (or if you are healthy and drink 1% or 2% milk, add some cream!); 1/2 to a whole stick of butter, and half a loaf of Velveeta, cut in 1″ chunks, to a microwavable container. Season to taste. I like lots of pepper and a tablespoon of onion powder. You might not need salt, since you salted the pasta water. Since I had some of this Smokey Swiss, I added a chunk of that too. YUM! Heat it in 1-2 minute intervals and stir each time.

5. Drain the macaroni and pour the cheese sauce all over; stir it up good, and you are DONE!

As you can see, it’s super easy, but they will love it, and they will lick it clean!

PS– What do you think of the big pictures? Does it make a difference one way or the other?

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