Macdaddy Mac N Cheese

So Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I miss my family almost as much as I miss the food. (Kidding).

But seriously, my fam is the bomb dot com. Especially the kids. They took some pretty funny pictures of ‘Cousin Bear’ taking a nap. They kept putting things on me and I didn’t wake up. This is me with a pumpkin and one of my dog’s toys:

Yet again, I digress.

My sister-in-law and I made this ooey gooey delarcious mac n cheese. It’s Patti Labelle’s macdaddy of all mac n cheese recipes because there are FIVE cheeses included.

And you grate. all. of. them.

Get your energetic kids or younger cousins to grate the cheese. This keeps them busy and also makes them feel like they contributed to the meal. (Make sure they wash their hands and sneeze AWAY from the cheese.)

We made a huge food service size tray and a smaller tray and it was ALL gone by Friday. (Except for the stash I hid in the back of the fridge, HAYO).

Get ready for a whole lotta cheese grating and sprinkling. Holy elbow grease. (get it – cause you use elbow macaroni?)

Over-the-Rainbow Mac N Cheese

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it’s bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information

798 calories, 49.3 grams of fat, 28.6 grams saturated fat, 202 mg cholesterol, 786 mg sodium, 61.0 grams carbohydrates, 27.7 grams protein, 1.8 grams fiber