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Easiest Mac & Cheese Ever

February 14, 2012 By Kate 7 Comments

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I’ve been making homemade macaroni and cheese for years and it’s definitely one of the favorite side dishes in our house. All of my versions of mac & cheese always revolve around a homemade cheese sauce for no reason other than that’s how I’ve always done it. But that all changed this past weekend and I’m not sure what the future holds for my mac & cheese making habits.

That’s because, with leftover cooked noodles in my refrigerator, this dish literally took less than 5 minutes to put together and it ended up being some of the most delicious macaroni and cheese any of us have ever had. The amount of seconds and thirds that I passed out to the kids rivaled any of their other favorite dishes for sure.

Check out this recipe and don’t let its simplicity fool you! You’ll end up with rich, creamy and delicious mac and cheese. It’s much easier and infinitely better than any boxed mac and cheese you’ll ever make!

Easiest Mac & Cheese Ever

  • 1 lb. elbow macaroni, fully cooked, divided
  • 2 c. shredded Sharp cheddar cheese, divided
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 c. milk

1. Grease a 13×9 casserole dish. Spread 1/4 of the noodles into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. cheese and add some salt and pepper. Continue repeating the layers until you’re done, ending with the cheese on top. Pour in the milk.

2. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is fully melted. Stir well, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Enjoy!

I did add some frozen peas to two layers and that was a great addition. But you can definitely skip those or replace with broccoli if you want. (Adding veggies to mac and cheese equals healthy foods for kids, at least in my eyes!)

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Very Veggie Pasta

January 23, 2012 By Kate 1 Comment

Life is good around our house. We’ve lived here for a year and a half and I think we’re finally starting to feel like we’ve done every project that we’ve wanted to do. Since the start of the year, Eric has painted and rearranged all of the kids’ bedrooms and we’ve done some redecorating in a few of the rooms. Our project list gets smaller and smaller each week.

Now that we’ve gotten all of that work taken care of, I need to start really focusing on some new meals on a more frequent basis. We’ve been eating a lot of our old favorites lately, and while no one is complaining, I’m really itching to get back to spending more time working on new recipes.

This dish originally started out as sauteed veggies, but as they were cooking, I decided to mix things up a bit for a new side dish. It turned out to be the perfect accompaniment to the Parmesan Chicken Fingers we had for dinner and I think it would go great with a lot of other meals too. In fact, it’s robust and flavorful enough that it could easily serve as a main course too. I’m definitely excited to make this again in the future. I’m thinking I’d like to make some on a Sunday night and then eat it for lunch for the next few days. It would be perfect for that.

Very Veggie Pasta

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 12 oz. bag frozen French-style green beans, thawed
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. oregano
  • 1 t. dried basil
  • 1/2 t. garlic powder
  • 1/2 t. pepper
  • 1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 lb. cooked pasta

1. Heat olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until the start to brown. Add sliced pepper, green beans and seasonings and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine well. Enjoy!

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Harvest Pasta Skillet

September 5, 2011 By Kate 1 Comment

There has been a definite chill in the air the past few days, which has me so excited. Fall is my absolute favorite season. It means sweater weather, changing leaves, hot apple cider and lots of bowls of soup. What’s not to love?

We’re kind of in that holding pattern between summer and fall right now. Our menu plan for the week definitely reflects this weather. Starting with this pasta on Sunday night that takes advantage of some final summer bounty to hot dogs on the grill tonight to a big pot of soup tomorrow night; we’re covering all of the bases!

This Harvest Pasta Skillet is a rich and filling vegetarian meal. It’s packed full of delicious summer flavors and colors. The kids and I loved it exactly as it came out of the skillet although I did have to add some diced chicken to it for Eric. That’s definitely an option for you if your family isn’t too keen on eating meat free.

Harvest Pasta Skillet

  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
  • 3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 2 cups)
  • 1 c. ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 c. milk
  • 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 1/2 c. finely chopped basil
  • 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained

1. Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant; set aside. Add olive oil to skillet. Add zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until tender. Add corn and cook an additional two minutes.

2. Reduce skillet heat to low and stir in ricotta, milk, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until smooth. Stir in basil, tomatoes and toasted walnuts.

3. Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.

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