Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
My homemade Mac and Cheese recipe is delish and this dish is a popular one in our household and famous at family gatherings and parties. My boys absolutely love it and they also love that it is a great side dish for some of their favorite proteins and dishes. I have posted my Mac & Cheese recipe before in the past and figured I would share it again for all of you. This particular dish is a staple in most households and is an American favorite. I have tasted a lot of different versions of Mac and Cheese – from the West to the East Coast and I love how everyone brings their little twists to a very basic dish. Here is one version of my Mac & Cheese Recipe (I have a few others I like to use as well) and I hope you enjoy it. It’s quick and simple and a great dish to get on the table for a great home-cooked meal.
Ingredients needed:
- 8 oz box of elbow macaroni pasta (or your pasta of choice)
- Garlic Powder and/or Garlic Salt to Taste
- Onion Powder to taste
- Sage, Basil, Oregano, Parsley – dried or fresh (add to your mixture according to your taste)
- Ground Nutmeg – approximately 1/4 – 1/2 a teaspoon
- 1 – 12oz can of Evaporated Milk (regular milk is okay, you can also substitute milk with Almond milk or coconut milk)
- 1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup finely grated or shredded Parmesan Regiano
- 1/4 cup 5 cheese blend or mexican cheese blend (this will add a little more richness and flavor but it is not required)
- 6-8 strips of chopped Bacon (cooked bacon only)
- 1 – 2 tablespoons sliced/chopped Chives or Green Onions for Garnish
Directions:
- Boil salted water and follow directions on the Macaroni Pasta package. Make sure to cook your macaroni to al dente. Drain the macaroni and keep in the same pot and return to stove.
- Add evaporated milk and allow the milk to warm up.
- Add spices to the macaroni and stir in well so that there are no clumps. Make sure it is combined and mixed in properly. If you would like, you can also mix the spices together first and then add to the pasta to ensure that all spices are combined properly.
- Once spices are combined nicely – add in your cheese a little at a time, I usually use a handful at a time. Start with the Sharp Cheddar Cheese, stirring softly to ensure that you are not smashing the macaroni. Next add in the Parmesan Cheese and then the Mozzarella Cheese. Stir in Mexican blend cheese last. Stir until melted and smooth.
- Add chopped bacon (make sure it is cooked, I like to use Ready Bacon) and stir into your Mac & Cheese nicely. If you prefer – turkey bacon works well too.
- Serve up your macaroni and cheese with a sprinkle of chives or green onion on top for garnish and a little flavor and Enjoy! Unfortunately I didn’t have chives when I created this particular mac and cheese (pictured above), so I left it out for garnish.
Pictured above is another version of my Mac and Cheese with larger cuts of bacon strips and chives/green onion garnish. I love the green onion or chive garnish because it is not only great for flavor and a little crunch, but it is also adds a gorgeous and vibrant green to the mix that makes the plating gorgeous.
I love to use Bamboo utensils when working with pasta dishes (in this case, mac and cheese) because it allows you to stir heavily without heavy breakage of your noodles. I love using Bamboo utensils because it is strong enough to hold up to the cooking you are doing (stronger than wood), but it’s easy to clean and the Moso Bamboo used in these utensils is a renewable eco-friendly source. Not to mention – they are affordable.
The Bamboo Style’s Premium Bamboo 6 Piece Cooking Kitchen Utensil Gadget Set that I used to create this dish and many of my home-cooked meals includes: Spoon, Spatula, Fork, Slotted Spoon, Slotted Spatula, Single Hole Spoon. This set is easy to wash, stuck on food comes off fairly easily with little to no effort and the price is very reasonable – on sale for $9.97 (retails for $19.97). Made with a natural bamboo, you also don’t have to worry about dyes or colorants and the bamboo wood is stronger than maple and lighter than oak. Because I use my bamboo utensils for a lot of my pasta dishes that have rich sauces or cheese, I love that these utensils do not scrape or scratch my pots/pans and the wood has good anti-bacterial properties.
I hope you enjoyed my Homemade Mac and Cheese recipe for this week’s Foodie Friday as well as a little look into the tools I use to make my foodie creations.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
27 Comments
Yum I love mac and cheese!
This looks ANAZINGNESS. Totally bookmarking and printing so I can make this. Yummm
My former client, Carnation, would be happy to know you do the evaporated milk mac n cheese recipe!
I do love it… It gives it a little bit of something something – I use Carnation only for my baking recipes and sauces too – it’s the only brand I trust 😉
I always have a couple of cans of Carnation in my pantry. it adds richness to all kinds of recipes including eggs. I was hoping they were going to come out with a closeable cardboard box container instead of or in addition to the cans because I rarely use the whole can at once. But my client contact left the company, and it never got done. It is still a good product however. And I LOVE mac ‘n cheese (but I try not to eat it too often 😉
omigosh – a closeable box would be so awesome, that is my problem as well… so normally if I have a can left over – I usually do a sweet dessert or something by the next day. Would love to have that done.
YUM YUM YUM, I love homemade mac and cheese!!
This looks good!
This looks beyond delicious. I love mac and cheese!
I love the feel of a wooden spoon. I haven’t made Mac ‘n Cheese in a while. I used to cook a lot. This is a fave!
I love mac and cheese, and even though i’m vegan i still get to have it. You’d be amazed how good nut cheeses taste. If you ever feel like mixing it up for a dinner party or anything, give it a go!
You have my gears in my mind turning with recipes. I’m definitely gonna try nut cheeses – sounds fabulous. I bet it would be great with almond or coconut milk 😉
I love working with wooden spoons. They make everything taste better. Great recipe by the way.
yum!!
yummmmm please come cook for me!
Yum! This recipe looks delicious!
This looks and sounds beyond delicious!
That looks all kinds of amazing! Nom!
Those wooden utensils are pretty! I want some of those and your mac n cheese
God, this looks delicious!
I’ve never tasted a homemade mac n’ cheese better than my moms!
aww… it’s always so awesome to have memories like that 😉
It looks so delicious !
Looks delicious! I’m a huge Mac n Cheese fan!
omg this looks amazing!!!!!
Looks delicious!
Great recipe!