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Kid Friendly Mac N’ Cheese With An Adult Kick

5 from 1 votes
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Kid Friendly Mac N' Cheese in a Ceramic Bowl

A kid friendly mac and cheese recipe? In the summertime?

You are probably thinking that I have suffered heat stroke or that I am simply posting an old recipe from the winter.  Alas my loves, June in Edmonton is not a warm, sunny time of year for us here in Alberta. It’s cold, wet and dreary around seventy-five percent of the time and the other time the suns rays feel so weak that you barely would get a sunburn if you forgot sunscreen.

It’s really easy to forget sunscreen when you are used to raincoats and rubber boots 5 days of the week.

So one dismal, dreary day, not so very long ago, I had a major hankering for mac n’ cheese.

MA-JOR.

As in if I didn’t get mac n’ cheese I was going to hurt someone. Real bad. It also had to be home-made mac n’ cheese, creamy, luscious and divine. Sadly, I didn’t have a recipe in my repertoire that constituted this. Sure, I know how to make a good cheese sauce but I usually bake my mac n’ cheese and it ends up a little bit dry.

There was to be no dry mac n’ cheese that day.  Someone was going to get hurt if I had to have dry mac n’ cheese.

So I took the basic mac n’ cheese recipe, added in cream (oh you know how much I love to fatten up recipes!) some major cheese and changed the ratio of noodles and sauce to favor the sauce highly.

There’s also a beautiful, tasty adult kick to this mac n’ cheese.

Before we get to the surprise, let’s take a look at that noodle to cheese ratio.

That’s what I am talking about, right there baby.

I’m not even sure there are actual noodles in that sauce.

Just get me a straw.

Large sauce pan with creamy Mac N' Cheese

I think I mentioned major cheese so this extra layer inside definitely qualifies this as major.

shredded cheese in a ceramic bowl

Once it’s all baked up, you are going to top them with gorgeous Brassica European style mustard.

You all remember my love affair with this mustard, yes?

Most good mac n’ cheese recipes call for dry mustard in them to add a lovely dimension to the taste. I omitted the mustard IN the recipe and decided to put it on top. I would have put it right into the recipe but this way is actually better; I could load up my own mac n’ cheese with as much of this glorious taste sensation as I wanted, yet my kid’s mac n’cheese could be plain.

top down shot of kid friendly Mac N' Cheese in a Ceramic Bowl This was absolutely amazing. 

I didn’t hurt anyone. I simply enjoyed the mac and cheese I was craving.

You only bake this mac and cheese recipe to melt the cheese in the middle and not to dry it out as most recipes do. The large amount of sauce compared to noodles may seem like too much, but it bakes up like a dream!

The mustard on top was the coup de grâce that made this extraordinary.

Kid Friendly Mac N' Cheese in ceramic bowl and rectangular plate

Happy Monday my dears! If you are having a rainy day, I highly suggest that you try this one out! The kids can eat it plain and you can eat something that’s better than anything out of the box!

Have a fabulous week, all of you! Thanks for stopping in!

Love,

Karlynn

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Individual Kid Friendly Mac N' Cheese- With An Adult Kick

Fabulously creamy baked mac n'cheese that makes both kids and adults happy!
5 from 1 votes
Kid Friendly Mac N' Cheese in a Ceramic Bowl
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Course
Dinner
Cuisine
pasta
Servings
4
Calories
784
Author
Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 cups macaroni pasta I used whole wheat
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup your choice of grated cheese for middle layer
  • Brassica mustard

Instructions
 

  • Kick the tires and light the fires to 375 degrees.
  • Boil the macaroni until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. 
  • In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. 
  • Add in the flour and salt. 
  • Stir constantly over medium heat until it forms a soft ball. 
  • Stir in the milk slowly, bit by bit, whisking constantly,
  • Once the flour and milk has combined into a liquid without lumps, whisk in any remaining milk.
  • Whisk in the cream (this is what makes it SO decadent!). Whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. 
  • Remove the sauce from heat, and stir in 2 cups of the cheese, stirring until melted. 
  • Pour the cheese sauce over the noodles and stir until the noodles are covered.
  • Split half of the macaroni into individual dishes of your choice (I used oven safe soup bowls!)
  • Sprinkle on half the cheese. Add the rest of the noodles. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the macaroni is slightly browned on top. We are not baking it dry, we just want to heat it up to melt that cheese in the middle! 
  • Serve with Brassica (European style) mustard on top.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information may vary depending on ingredients and brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 4g, Calories: 784kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 30g, Cholesterol: 154mg, Sodium: 1170mg, Potassium: 387mg, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1605IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 869mg, Iron: 2.9mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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Karlynn Johnston

I’m a busy mom of two, wife & cookbook author who loves creating fast, fresh meals for my little family on the Canadian prairies. Karlynn Facts: I'm allergic to broccoli. I've never met a cocktail that I didn't like. I would rather burn down my house than clean it. Most of all, I love helping YOU get dinner ready because there's nothing more important than connecting with our loved ones around the dinner table!

Learn more about me

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Comments & Recipe Tips Share a tip or comment!

  1. Katrina Veness says

    Oh my Karlynn that looks sooo good I’m gunna have to try this

  2. Karlynn Johnston says

    I wish I had this tonight too Valerie! Oh my little pans! We are going to have to meet, you have to fit us in for supper soon! I’ll have you over for brook trout!

  3. Karlynn Johnston says

    Hahah I am SO glad someone got the Russel Peters in there! Thanks for the kind words, my family so far in Calgary area are all ok and looks like we aren’t getting it here in Edmonton…touch wood!

  4. Joycelyn says

    “As in if I didn’t get mac n’ cheese I was going to hurt someone. Real bad”

    Ha! You’ve been watching too much Russel Peters, Karlynn!

    It’s mac and cheese for us tonight as well. I’m in BC and it’s been raining, no, it’s been pouring since early morning with not much end in sight so far.  Days like this lead me to think of comfort food & mac & cheese fits that bill perfectly.

    My mac & cheese is almost identical to yours save for a blob or two of sour cream in the sauce & a topping of buttered bread broken into pieces, more grated cheese & a good sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.

    Thanks for the great tip on layering & adding extra cheese between layers. I usually plop mine into a casserole dish or individual oval ramikins when there’s only two of us, top them with the extras and bake away. Your addition of extra cheese in the middle is a wonderful idea as who doesn’t love more cheese?

    Not at all food related,  just wanted to say my/our thoughts are with everyone who’s been affected by the devastating flooding in Calgary & surrounding areas & do hope the reports that there could also be flooding in Edmonton will take a turn for the better & never occur.

    Take care

    Joycelynn 

    • thekitchenmagpie says

      Joycelyn Yes, I love Russel Peters. He’s so wrong I have to laugh!

  5. ACanadianFoodie says

    GORGEOUS! I WOULD LOVE this right now! What did I put that in last? Oh – my rhubarb bacon jam. That mustard is deadly on everything. We have to meet. I have your pans – and no time, either. XO V

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