Week 11 - Day 4

*There are hundreds of different types of cheese.

The yellowish color of many cheeses is the result of adding annatto.

What is annatto?

Find out in the Healthy Home Ec book on page 153.

Today's recipe of Creamy Deluxe Baked Macaroni and Cheese

should be used with all natural cheese that is not processed

or does not contain preservatives.

Gather your supplies and ingredients.

 (The organic milk does not have to be whole milk.

In fact, I rarely use whole milk.

That's just what was on sale this week.)

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.

I found a multi-grain product that I wanted to try

that had all the same ingredients as regular macaroni,

but added a grain and legume flour mix containing lentils, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans),

flaxseed, barley, oats, and spelt.

This added to the protein content, as well as increased fiber and omega-3.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Butter the baking dish to prevent the pasta from sticking.

Add the remaining ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.

Read the Healthy Home Ec book to know the correct measurements.

Only use "light" products if they don't contain preservatives.

Read the labels!

Shredding your own cheese is a better option.

Pre-shredded bagged cheese contains silicone dioxide 

(to keep cheese shreds from sticking together in the bag)

and also costs more than buying in bulk and shredding it yourself.

You can use a food processor or a manual shredder.

Drain the pasta once cooked, and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Allow all the water to drain off.

Add the cheese to the creamed mixture.

Stir to combine thoroughly.

(Go Blue!)  :)

Actually, this would make a great dish to serve at a sports party

as it serves 8-10 people, is easy and quick to make, and is enjoyed by almost everyone.

Who is your favorite team?

Add the pasta and stir to blend.

Add the pasta mixture to the greased baking dish

and baked as directed in the Healthy Home Ec book.

(I topped mine with a little extra freshly ground black pepper and Hungarian Paprika before baking,

but you could also add it after it bakes.)

The finished product: 

Serve hot and bubbly.

"Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value,

godliness is of value in every way,

as it holds promise for the present life

and also for the life to come."

(1 Timothy 4:7-8)