DONNA'S DAILY DISH
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact

make it easy on yourself

11/23/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
Thursday is my babysitting day for my granddaughter. After spending the day with her and the commute home in rush hour traffic, I want to prepare a dinner that is quick and easy to prepare.

​Thursday is pasta night at our house and this week was no different. There was a twist, however, I made creamy weeknight macaroni and cheese. It is a recipe that appeared in an article from The New York Times last October 2018 - 5 Recipes with 5 Ingredients (or Fewer) * (assuming you have salt, pepper and maybe some olive oil.) For this recipe you’ll need elbow macaroni, milk, 8 ounces of cream cheese (I used Neufchâtel, cheddar cheese and butter. To put my spin on this recipe, I recently found at my local Wegmans ParmCheddar cheddar cheese. The cheese is aged 12 months and is “blended with nutty Parmesan notes,” to quote from the label. It sells for $9.99/lb., but it really made for a delicious dish! What also makes this a wonderful recipe is that it takes approximately 25 minutes to make and it’s all done on the stovetop, no additional baking time! For a busy family, this is a recipe to keep on hand.
 
While, the water was boiling for the pasta, I slowly began to prepare the cheese sauce. Milk was heated up first. I cut the cream cheese into smaller portions and whisked that in. Next, grated ParmCheddar and, lastly, 3 tablespoons of butter. I keep it warm on a low flame so the mixture wouldn’t boil. The cooked pasta was added and then the seasonings were adjusted with the addition of salt and pepper. The cheese mixture was rich, creamy and luxurious over the elbow macaroni. There was plenty of sauce on the pasta. While setting up the photo for this blog, I tasted the Mac n’ cheese right out of the pot and it was delicious. I’m so glad I tried the ParmCheddar because it gave the dish a great flavor, almost reminiscent of an Alfredo sauce.
 
I did jump the gun and had this dish prepared about 20 minutes before my husband arrived home. I kept it warm in low oven and uncovered. During that time, the pasta absorbed a lot of the heavenly cheese sauce and wasn’t as hot as it should be. When I prepare it again, and have to hold it, I’ll cover the casserole dish and increase the heat to 225° so the casserole stays hot.
 
My husband and I loved this dish. I set aside a portion for a neighbor and she enjoyed it and there’s even a bit for my granddaughter to try. Keep this recipe handy as you’ll find it handy during the busy holiday season.
Index
1 Comment
resumegenius.com link
12/2/2019 02:02:37 am

Just like your family, we also have our own version of pasta dinner every Tuesday night. My family loves pasta so much and my mom is good when it comes to making every pasta she handles extra ordinary. Well, I guess, her cooking skills is what made dad even lover her more. Anyway, I just really want to share my story here because I have been reminded of mom through this article of yours. I will tell her about this once we see each other next week. I am so sure that she will become a regular visitor of your site. She will be thrilled of the things that she will see here for sure.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    meet donna

    A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners. 

    archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    categories

    All
    Appetizers
    Baked Goods
    Beef
    Beverages
    Breakfast
    Cookies
    Dessert
    Dinner
    Fish
    Food Reviews
    Fruit
    Game
    Grilling
    Meat
    Miscellaneous
    One Pot Meals
    Pasta
    Pork
    Poultry
    Pressure Cooker/InstaPot
    Salad
    Sauces
    Seafood
    Sheet Pan Supper
    Side Dish
    Soup
    Vegetables
    Vegetarian
    Venison

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Contact