Let’s talk about comfort food. Side dish edition. We don’t know anyone who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese.

Everyone has their own version. Ours involves a spice blend and two different types of cheeses.

The spice blend packs the flavor and the cheese melts to creamy perfection.

Side note: This is also freezer friendly. You can either

1) Bake in a disposable aluminum pan and freeze the entire thing.

OR

2) Refrigerate after cooking. This makes it easy to cut into squares, wrap in wax paper and place in a large Ziploc bag. Then you can place 1 serving at a time in the microwave.

Visit BlessYourHeartichoke.com for many delicious and creative recipes to enjoy at your home!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked according to directions
1/2 stick butter (salted)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream

SEASONING MIX:

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning (This depends on how much salt you use to cook your pasta)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground mustard
8 oz. velveeta, cut into cubes
8 oz. Kraft Mild Cheddar (block), grated on a cheese grater (Do not use shredded cheese from the bag, it melts “grainy” and doesn’t make a pretty smooth sauce)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large pot, boil the water for the pasta, cook according to directions.
3. While the pasta is starting to boil, start on the sauce.
4. Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in the flour. Whisk for about 2 minutes.
5. Add milk and heavy cream. Continue to whisk until lumps are gone and sauce is smooth and thickened. Should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This took me about 7-8 minutes (depends on your stove.)
6. Stir in seasoning, Velveeta, and half of the shredded cheddar.
7. When pasta is cooked, pour thru a colander and then pour into a buttered 9×13 casserole dish.
8. Pour the sauce over the noodles, stir well.
9. Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.