One of the homemade dishes I make that I'm most proud of is my baked macaroni and cheese. I've been making it for years, and it's actually my mom's recipe. It's one of our family favorites, and I love making it because the recipe makes a large pan, and the leftovers are killer. When I discovered my sensitivity to gluten, this was one of the things I knew I was really going to miss. It's such comfort food! So when I found out my favorite brand of gluten free pasta made macaroni I was SO pumped! I immediately had to make mac n cheese, and even though it was a teensy bit different than my traditional gluten filled recipe, it was still a knock out.
One of the great things about this dish is that it's easy to make ahead, and then just pop in the oven whenever you need it! That's what I did this time. Unfortunately, I was so excited about making it that I didn't really plan ahead and took no pictures of the process.....oops! All I have is a before the oven and after. But you don't need pictures to follow a recipe, right? :)
Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, diced
About half a stick of butter
Maybe 1 cup of milk (OK, I don't measure, I'm sorry. You just kind of have to use your judgement. You can't really mess it up....probably,,,)
2 bags of shredded cheese (You can use any kind you want. This time I used a mac n cheese blend, but usually I just use sharp cheddar. Use your fav!)
Garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
First saute your onion in the butter, and once those have softened, add your flour and mix to make a roux. Once that's done, add the milk, cheese, and seasonings and simmer on low heat until all the cheese is melted. Stir in your cooked macaroni noodles, and pour the whole thing into a large casserole dish. Then top with some extra shredded cheese. Super easy, yes? Here's the before...
Still looks yummy, but bake at 400 for about half an hour, and just wait for the after.....
I know, you're drooling, right? This really is the best mac and cheese on the planet. Would a little gluten probably make it better, well, maybe. Gluten makes everything better. You can of course make it with glutinous noodles and flour, and I'll be jealous. The GF noodles don't hold up quite as well, but maybe next time I won't cook them as long. Either way, cheesy goodness is always a win!
Another great thing about this recipe is that you can alter it in so many ways. We've added cubed ham or bacon (bacon makes everything better), one time we added diced green chills and used a Mexican blend of cheese, you could add in mushrooms, any veggies you want, hamburger meat, the options are endless. But I do have to say, I feel VERY strongly that the onions MUST be included. Otherwise I just feel like it doesn't have the same pizazz. Just my humble opinion.
Everyone has go-to comfort food recipes that just make you feel good, and this one seriously never fails. What's your comfort food?
xo, Summer
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xo, Summer