Tuesday, January 4, 2011

My Favorite Mac and Cheese


1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.

In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

From whence it came:  My wonderful friend, Kerinda, shared this recipe with me recently and boy oh boy am I glad she did!  It really is good and she is such a good girl for sharing. 

Why it's blogable:  I have made homemade mac and cheese before and I haven't loved it, but this recipe is very lovable.  I like it much better than the super saucy recipes that are made with a white sauce.  This recipe is so super easy to make, and the flavor is great.  I used sharp cheddar like the recipe calls for and I thought it made a great difference, but if you're not into sharp, use medium.  Our family gobbled this up and the boys went back for seconds!  I call that success!

One more thing:  I used Panko bread crumbs for the topping and they worked great!  Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) are made from bread without crusts and have a crispier texture.  I'm sure any bread crumbs would be good, but the Panko ones are great!  You can get them in any grocery store.  I found them at my BFF, Super Walmart!  Also, I turned the broiler on for just a minute before removing the dish from the oven, just to brown the top a little bit more and increase the crispiness of the bread crumbs.

Click here to get the printable:

Hope you enjoy stirring it up!

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