Kid Approved Mac and Cheese

Blogging Marathon# 47: Week 2/ Day 1
Theme: Kid's Delight Event -- Pizza & Pasta
Dish: Macaroni & Cheese

We are starting 2nd week of blogging today and my theme for this week is 'Pizza & Pasta'. Mir is hosting this month's Kid's Delight event and asking us to send kid favorite pasta & pizza recipe. Valli is the brain behind Kid's Delight event.
For the first day I made 'Macaroni & Cheese', one of my kids favorite pasta dish. Unfortunately they love the mac & cheese from the box and the many times I tried making it at home, they were not really pleased with it. They like their macaroni to have that signature orange/ yellow color and the chalky cheese taste (??) which obviously a homemade version can never live up to. So I gave up and started buying Annie's mac & cheese for them.

This is probably one of the few recipes that I was really tensed serving to the kids. To top it off I volunteered to make it for our Thanksgiving potluck too. I looked through so many recipes online to make sure I had got the recipe right. I've never been so concerned about the taste of the dish -- ever.
I made the dish at home before making it again for the potluck -- I wanted to get my kids approval first. After serving to the kids I probably asked them 10 times if they liked it or not and if it tasted like the boxed variety (??). I was ecstatic when my son gave his hands up and I was on cloud nine when it was loved by the other kids too at the party.
I added panko breadcrumbs on the top and baked the pasta. But my son didn't like the crunchy topping, so I made the dish without the topping for the party. For my broccoli loving daughter I added some lightly steamed broccoli to the pasta and baked it -- she loved the creamy and cheesy pasta with broccoli.

Here are a few things I've learnt during my research -- I should earn a PhD for mac & cheese. Hmmm.. I probably did when the kids approved it :-)

• Grate your own cheese -- store bought grated cheeses may not melt into a smooth sauce.
• Use higher fat milk for a smoother sauce.
• Don't add the cheese when the milk is too hot, this might curdle the sauce.

Ingredients: Serves 4~6

Macaroni pasta (or any other short cut pasta) - 2cups
Flour - 3tbsp
Unsalted butter - ¼cup
Milk - 3 cups (minimum 2% milk fat recommended)
Cheese - 2½cups, grated (I used 2cups Extra sharp Cheddar & 1/2cup Gruyere)

Dry mustard - ½tsp
Smoked Paprika - 1tsp
Broccoli - 1cup, lightly steamed (optional)
Salt & Pepper - to taste

For the topping: (Optional)
Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup
Melted Butter or Vegetable Oil - 2tbsp
Parmesan Cheese - 3tbsp

Method:

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside until ready to use.
• Melt the butter in a medium size sauce pan, whisk in the flour and cook for 2~3 minutes or until the flour is cooked through. Add the dry mustard, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly and cook until the sauce thickens, this takes about 7~10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then stir in the grated cheese and mix well to form a smooth cheese sauce.
• Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce along with steamed broccoli (if adding). 
• The dish is ready to serve now, but if you want to bake it then transfer pasta to a greased baking dish. 
• Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle it on top of the pasta. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 20~25 minutes or until the top is golden and pasta is bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 47.