Creamy Yummy Easy Mac n Cheese

Ok my first blog since my LiveJournal days at the turn of the century. Have you guys seen this lip sync video of Katy Perry's "Roar" at Dartmouth Children's Hospital? Truly moving. http://youtu.be/lnG3MKos87A

Anywho, onto the yummy stuff.

This recipe's credit goes to my old pal Shannon and Campbell's Soup. Shannon and I loved to cook/bake together, so a lot of my recipes are inspired by her, or ones that we tried out for the first time together. This one I stole from her, and it's always been a hit!

First off, preheat the oven to 375F and pick your pasta. I'm going with shells tonight. 

The sauce takes about 10-15 minutes to prepare, so if you prep everything beforehand, you can start the boil as you start the sauce.

Mix two cans of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup in a bowl. Fill up each can 3/4 of the way with milk.

  

You're gonna want a whisk or a fork. Get those clumps out!

Now for my Basics.

These puppies pretty much go into everything I cook. Please add them. Add some Parmesan or Asiago (or both!) and stir. 

Now for those who don't know me very well, know this. I love garlic. Garlic and cheese. But definitely garlic. So this next step is vital.

I don't know what I'd do without my garlic press (Thanks Mom!). Considering how poor this household is, good cooking tools are rare. But this is a hand-me-down from MommaBear. So go ahead, add your fresh squeezed garlic to that mix!

Now it's time to mix it all together. Hopefully your water should be boiling and you can focus on stirring your pasta and cooking it perfect. You actually don't want to cook it all the way. Pre-al dente, if you will. Now when your pasta is done, strain and add some butter. Everything is better with butter. Or in my case, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! thanks to my upbringing. (It's damn good!) Put pasta in a casserole/baking dish. Add sauce slowly, making sure to stir it every so often so the cheesey goodness gets in and around each shell. 

We're not done quite yet! This is where it gets fun. Raid your fridge and see what kind of cheeses you have. Cheddar, American, Mozzerella, Provolone, Swiss, whatever! Or maybe all the above. Being that we haven't been grocery shopping lately, all I had was some leftover mozz from my homemade pizza last week (Florida pizza just doesn't cut it). 

I cut that that up into pieces and randomly dropped them over the pasta. Then, using my fork, I smushed each little nug in so it could eventually be in a bite of cheesey awesomeness. 

Almost there guys! One last step!

Since this is baked macaroni and cheese, it wouldn't be much good without breadcrumbs. So stir in some melted butter with your breadcrumbs and some more grated Parm cheese. Sprinkle that amazingness on top of your pasta. Your creation is ready for baking.

Bake at 375F for about 22 or till the cheese is all bubbly. Take out and for the love of all that is holy, LET IT COOL. Yes, your entire tiny apartment with flow with the sweet aroma of cheddar cheese and garlic, but if you like your tongue to function properly, you'll have to wait.

Voilà! Cheap, easy, delicious. That's what she said. Seriously.

Enjoy.

-Kate

Easy Cheesey Macaroni 

1lb of pasta 

2 cans of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 cans worth of milk

Parmesean cheese

Mozzerella (or any other awesome cheese)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder.

Breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of butter

While pasta is cooking, mix all ingredients for the sauce. Cook the pasta, but not all the way. When ready, mix in baking dish with sauce. Add shredded or additional cheese. Mix. Melt butter and add to small dish of breadcrumbs. Spread evenly over pasta. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until cheese bubbles.