I normally don’t do this kind of thing, but I decided to give it a try for once. I entered a mystery ingredient surprise blogger (WHEW that was a mouthful!) contest and just so happened to become a finalist!! I can’t believe it!!
Please vote for my macaroni and cheese recipe here: http://www.mysteryingredientbloggershowcase.com/#vote
There’s no registering or anything like that. Simply click “vote” next to my name (Kim) and recipe! You can vote once a day for the next two weeks. Thank you so much for your support!
They sent me a “mystery ingredient” in the mail to make something with. When I opened the brown package, I found out that it was Colman’s mustard. At first, I panicked a little bit. What on Earth am I supposed to do with mustard? My DF hates it and I only eat it on hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches. Lucky for me, they sent two forms of mustard.. regular mustard and mustard powder.
I used the mustard powder to create a simple dish: mac n’ cheese. It’s such a great comfort dish, especially during the colder months. It’s so easy to make that it’s almost embarrassing to make it from a box!
I made a bread crumb/Cheez-It mixture to add on top for an extra layer of crunch. My DF ate 1/4 of the pan and didn’t even question the ingredients used because of how inviting the dish looked. You can’t go wrong with mac n’cheese, whether you’re six years old or sixty.
Again, I would really loveeee if you could vote for my macaroni and cheese recipe here (and don’t be afraid to share with others!). All you have to do is click on the orange “vote now” button next to my name.
I’m really excited about this contest so I’m sorry ahead of time if I talk about it too much. Thanks again!!!
Ingredients
- 1 box (I used 13.25 oz) whole wheat elbows
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 3/4 tsp dry mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 5 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 cup cheez-its, crushed
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large saucepan, cool the pasta for 6-8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Using the same pan over medium-low heat, completely melt your butter. Add in the flour, dry mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well.
- Slowly stir in the milk and bring the temperature up to medium high until it begins to bubble. Bring the temperature back down and let simmer together for about a minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups of cheddar cheese until it is completely melted. Stir in the cooked pasta until it is evenly coated in the cheese mixture. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 pan.
- Put the last cup of cheese on top.
- Now, make the topping by mixing together the cheez-its and bread crumbs. Pour evenly over the pan.
- Top the pan off by sprinkling paprika and cayenne pepper on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Also, here’s a coupon for you to use if you plan on purchase mustard anytime soon!
Mustard is such an important ingredient in mac and cheese – it helps cuts through the richness and add a little tang. Great recipe – voted!
Can’t wait to make this for thanksgiving! i voted for you as well 🙂 I had one question though. In the ingredient part it says that there are 5 cups of cheese, but in the recipe it says mix in 4 cups of cheese, what do you do with the 5th cup?
Thank you 🙂
Oh, sorry! Just edited it. I poured the last cup on top prior to baking for a nice cheesy layer. 🙂
Tasted great! Easy recipe.