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my daughter will not eat my home made mac n cheese. she only likes the boxed stuff. well, i'm making homemade tonight and i thought if i could get the sauce to be creamier, maybe she wouldn't notice the difference.
any thoughts on how to get it to be really creamy? i use the basic butter, flour, milk and cheddar cheese combo.
thanks!
Okay... I assume your daughter is a fan of the Kraft mac 'n cheese... and it isn't your recipe that she doesn't like... it may the fact that the packaged stuff has 30% sodium. Salt is a big factor with kids. And the variety of cheese may also be a factor. Use Kraft cheese, and that may help. But, in the long run, my advice is do not cater to her whims. I have no idea how old this daughter of yours is, but I think she needs to appreciate that what you prepare for dinner is good for the family. Otherwise, my dear, you will end up catering to her wishes from now until kingdom come. Good luck.
♥ Life is a song, sing it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a dream, realize it, Life is a sacrifice, offer it. Life is love, enjoy it. And, life is cooking, eat it. (Sai Baba & Judy)♥
♥ Judy Batson, Field Editor, Taste of Home, 2009 ♥ Reader Council, Simple & Delicious, 2011♥ Contest Winner, Country Woman, 2011♥ Meet me at Cooking for Two.
your post made me laugh! she is a completely picky eater but we are working with her and she is voluntarily expanding her list of acceptable foods. She did eat my mac and cheese tonight and she cleaned her plate.
i would still like a creamier cheese sauce. maybe colby instead of chedder or using some cream instead of all milk? any suggestions would be great.
Hi Joy!
I am the adult version of your daughter! I despised homemade macaroni & cheese. As an adult I played with recipes until I found one I liked. This recipe worked well for me but I add one chicken bouillon cube to the sauce. (that's the sodium) - try it! You'll be surprised.
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This recipe is very close to the one I use.... the combo of velveeta and cheddar will do it. By the way, I am happy to know that you are working with your daughter. Food should not be used as rewards, as I am sure you know, and too many picky eaters got that way when unknowing mom's began saying "if you clean your room, you get the bowl of ice cream." Good luck, and because you are concerned about her being picky, I am sure she will overcome her reluctance to try new foods.
Even the pickiest fans love this mac and cheese. I acquired a recipe similar to it years ago here on the one of the boards. I have tweaked it to my own liking. I have made it for covered dish dinners and for guests and family members here. It's a favorite among all.
Cook a 1/2 box or a full box (depending on how much you want to actually cook is why the difference) of macaroni shells or elbows or spirals. Drain.
In a casserole dish greased with butter or slowcooker greased with butter, place the macaroni
Add a jar of ragu cheese sauce, as much parmesan cheese as you like, and either a 1/2 or 1 lb package of shredded mozerella, stir together, then add as much milk as you would like to make it either really creamy or slightly creamy. Then you can sprinkle if you like shredded italian seasoning bread crumbs on top or you can leave them off. Cover with casserole lid or aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 or more minutes, depending on how thick your want your sauce to be cooked up.
If you use a slowcooker to place this in, prepare it two hours before you need it for your meal. Just watch the sides don't scorth of your mac and cheese. You may need more milk to make it creamier when you first start it. The milk will cook up the longer the slowcooker cooks your mac and cheese.
Most of all enjoy!!
You can add chopped broccoli or chopped ham to this mac and cheese to make it another flavorable meal.
Make a beschemel sauce and don't be stingy with the cheese. I use over one pound of sharp cheddar, a little worchestershire sauce and try it without baking. It will be nice and creamy.
When the tides of life are against you
And the current upsets your boat
Don't think of things that might have been
Just lay on your back and float
Ed Norton 1954
The Honeymooners
Hi! This recipe is kid tested! Ellie's recipe is much more healthy than another one by Rachael Ray on FoodTV. I sometimes add a can of well drained fire-roasted diced tomatoes to the mix. Kids don't know that they are getting a serving of vegetables!!!
Macaroni and 4 Cheeses
2005, Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time:
20 min
Cook Time:
40 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
8 servings
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.
Ann
Kid tested is good enough for me. Gotta try it.