~Macaroni and Cheese~

I got this recipe from here.  This is our favorite mac'n'cheese recipe ever!!! It goes great with a Summer BBQ!

Macaroni and Cheese

Servings 6

Ingredients4 cups Dried Macaroni

1 whole Egg Beaten
¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Whole Milk
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 pound Cheese, Grated
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

~Macaroni Chili Casserole~

Macaroni Chili Casserole

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. hot Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 can black beans, drained
• 1 little can of hot tomato sauce
• 2 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 cans dice tomato, undrained
• 2 can tomato soup
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 can chopped green chili
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 box of macaroni, cooked and drained

Cook and drain the macaroni according to box instructions. Then in a skillet, brown beef and sausage with the chopped onions. We added sea salt and pepper to the meat and onion mixture while it cooked along with the chili powder. I let it simmer while we waited for the pasta to finishing cooking. Then we put all the ingredients in a big soup pot over the stove and heat it through until hot.

Just before serving add cilantro and shredded cheese.

This was a HUGE hit!!! Our little picky eater, Jolene, not only helped "sample" but had two bowls at dinner time! This is one we will be making lots. It is the perfect winter meal on those cold days.