Creamy Smack n Cheese

Smack you say? Yes, and here's why. This version of macaroni and cheese is so delicious that its like smack. Get it now? So this weekend I am going on a little vacation to Maine with some friends and I don't really want to be cooking on vacation so I made a few things to bring along. Also, it has taken me quite a bit of time to find a recipe for mac n cheese that is just...delicious!

Also, this may sound gross to some of you but I love Velveeta cheese. Yes. I do. Its not really even cheese, instead, it is a "cheese food". Click on the link to learn about what processed cheese really is and the legal implications surrounding it. Its actually really interesting!

So anyway...I bought a pasteurized cheese block, 2% fat which tastes and melts just the same as full fat. Also, you can find cheaper brands and most of them are good enough to do what you need them to do, so don't feel bad for buying a brand which costs less than Velveeta. You can probably also use other alternatives to the regular pasta. For example, I love to use Smart Taste pasta which has less calories and more fiber, just what we all need yay! Or if you need to be gluten free, use your favorite rice pasta or something.

And now finally onto the recipe!

Creamy Smack n Cheese:

1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 cup milk, I used 1%
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp onion powder
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheese
1/4 cup bread crumb or crushed ritz crackers (about 6)

Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour; cook 2 min., stirring constantly (important not to burn!). Gradually stir in milk and bring to boil; cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add cubed processed cheese, onion powder and mustard; cook until melted, keep stirring (you don't want the milk to burn). At this point, your sauce will begin to thicken even more, if its too thick, just add more milk. Stir in macaroni.

Pour the macaroni into a glass baking dish that has been lightly sprayed. Top with shredded cheese and bread crumb and bake at 350F for about 25 mins or until the top is nice and golden.

Yeah, thats it. This recipe is fairly easy. The hardest part is making sure that the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan. I also don't have any good photos right now, but hopefully I will when I am eating this, then I will add them to this entry.