Mac N Cheese

It was one of those days where I had errand after errand to run. On top of that, my 3 kids took turns to fall ill ... fever, cough, cold ... the works :( I was so worried it would be the dreaded H1N1. Fortunately, they have all recovered as I write. Unfortunately, I can feel myself coming down with something as I write :( It's always the case, isn't it? Kids fall ill, one after another like dominoes. Parents spend a few weeks (with hardly any rest) nursing them back to health. Kids recover, parents fall ill. Sigh.

When kids are sick, they just don't have an appetite. Instead of making them eat proper meals, I let them choose whatever they feel like (within reasonable limits, of course). I figure something in the tum is better than none.

So, I was glad when they requested for Mac N Cheese. Great! A one-dish meal that is easy to make. I whipped up a large casserole dish for the entire family for lunch. Loved the cheesy gooey-ness! I had a very leisurely lunch with my brood ... a nice way to take a breather from the morning madness.

Now, if I am missing from the blogosphere for the next few days, you know why ...



Classic Two-Cheese Macaroni
from The Best of Cooking Light, page 123
(seen and adapted from here)

- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella and Red Cheddar
- 6 cups hot cooked elbow macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt*
- Cooking Spray (or some butter for greasing)

*Note:
- I substituted salt with 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is a salty cheese
- I topped the dish with panko, for some crunch.

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree celcius.

2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat; add flour. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook until thick. Keep stirring. Add in all the cheeses until they melt, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add in macaroni and coat evenly.

3. Spoon into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with panko. Bake at 190 degree celcius for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Top should be golden brown and deliciously crusty!