Krafty Kids

To celebrate Father’s Day, we entertained two of our children and four of our grandchildren. I told my husband I would make whatever he wished in honor of the day, and he, of course, chose fried chicken. If given a choice, he will choose it every time.

What I cook for side dishes doesn’t really matter, as long as there is fried chicken on a platter in front of him. However, I know he likes macaroni and cheese – and the creamier, the better.

Making mac and cheese is not rocket science, and though preparing it from scratch certainly is more time consuming than opening a box of processed mac and cheese, it really doesn’t take all that much time to put together a cheesy macaroni casserole.

Because there was going to be a total of four kids 8 years old or under, I decided that I would make a full recipe of macaroni and cheese instead of cutting it in half as I normally would. What kid doesn’t like homemade mac and cheese, after all?

Well, it turns out, there are at least four.

I have seen these four children consume, as though they haven’t eaten for several days, macaroni and cheese that is nothing more than pasta, milk, and a powdery substance full of salt and chemicals, with perhaps a cheese wand waved over it at some point. Yet, they nibbled politely on a few pieces of the macaroni, checking to make sure they could still eat dessert if they didn’t finish their serving.

While I was surprised, my feelings weren’t hurt. They really weren’t. I remember, after all, eating that self-same boxed macaroni and cheese as a child, and LOVING it.

I checked on line and learned that Kraft began making their boxed macaroni and cheese in the mid-1930s. It was originally called simply Kraft Dinner. I had forgotten that fact, but was immediately transported back in time and heard Mom telling us that we were having Kraft Dinner for supper. That always made me so happy. I’m sure if I looked at the ingredients (which I don’t think I ever will) I would find out that it’s loaded with lots of sodium, probably some sugar or corn syrup, and lots of things with names I don’t recognize (what in the name of heaven is xanthan gum anyway?).

No matter, once kids have dined on Kraft mac and cheese (or probably any boxed mac and cheese) they apparently turn their little pug noses up at the real McCoy.

As a result, I had made-from-scratch (and quite delicious) macaroni and cheese coming out my ears. My husband and I have been eating it for several days now, and I’m about ready to eat the last bite. I have learned my lesson.

Here is my recipe:

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

1-16 oz. bag of macaroni
9 T. butter
2 c. shredded cheese (you can use any kind, but I use a mixture of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack
8 oz. Velveeta, diced
1-1/2 c. half and half
2 eggs, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook macaroni until desired doneness. For macaroni and cheese, I like it cooked thoroughly. Drain well. Melt 8 t. butter (frankly, I often use a bit less butter), and stir into the pasta. In a large bowl, combine all of the cheese (including Velveeta) and mix. Add half and half, 1-1/2 c. of the cheese mixture and eggs to the macaroni, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and add 1 T. butter.

Bake for 35 minutes.

I generally cut the recipe in half, and it still makes way more than I need.

Now, here is a tip: If you like your macaroni and cheese really creamy, double the amount of shredded cheese (not the Velveeta), and only bake for about 20 minutes. Creamy goodness, if not exactly health food.