Summer Lunch Program >> Macaroni & Cheese

Summer Lunch Program

a semi-sporadic series

with

fun lunchtime recipes

Just In Time For Summer Vacation!

Macaroni & Cheese

Bring  2  Cups  Elbow Macaroni  to a boil in salted water, cook until al dente.

While the Macaroni is cooking, prepare a Cheese Sauce by melting

1/4  Cup  Butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Stir in  1/4  Cup  Flour and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, about one minute.

Slowly stir in 2  Cups  Milk, about a 1/4-cup at a time, stirring constantly until thickened and creamy.  Turn off heat, but leave the pan on the burner and stir in your favorite Cheese, up to two cups, until melted.  Cheddar is always a classic!  If you know that you're not going to eat this all in one sitting, try using 8 ounces of Velveeta as it stays creamy when reheated (and yes, I know that it is basically 'processed cheese-flavored plastic' as someone so delicately put it, but it does melt so nicely!).  Season with Seasoned Salt and Black Pepper.  Now is also the time to stir in your favorite seasonings.  I like Thyme; try other mix-ins like Bacon Bits, Chipotle Chili Powder, frozen Peas and Carrots--you're only limited by your imagination!

Drain your cooked Elbow Macaroni, return it to the cooking pan and stir in the Cheese Sauce, and enjoy yummy, creamy Macaroni & Cheese for lunch.  Serves 6.

Make this a main-dish meal by placing it in a greased 8x8 pan, topping with shredded Cheddar, and baking at 350* for about 30 minutes.  A layer of drained canned Tuna can be added to the middle of this to bulk it out a bit.

more, please

This is a recipe from my Mom.  She always made this and baked it with the Tuna for dinner.  We children, of course, always wanted more cheese--"No, more than that, Mommy, more!"--on top.  In school we were served this creamy-style with barbequed Hot Dogs on the Tuesday and Thursday hot lunches. 

And now I have a bit of a problem.

My children don't like it creamy-style.  They think Grandma's way--baked--is best.  And then they like the boxed kind.  My creamy-style comes in last.

Such is life with kids.  Sometimes they just wouldn't know a good thing if it bit them on their noses.  Sigh.

It's funny, though.  There are hardly ever left-overs, no matter how it is made.

Happy Summertime to you!