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Macaroni and Cheese


When the chill of the season is getting to your family it is time to break out a casserole of homemade baked pasta and cheese. It is best to use sharp cheddar in this recipe since it adds so much flavor without having to use a whole brick of cheese.  I always add in some cottage cheese for a protein and calcium boost.  You can use most any kind of pasta you prefer but choose one that has lots of edges for the sauce to coat.  You can combine it in the morning to refrigerate and bake in time for dinner.  You would need additional baking time if you put it in the oven chilled from the refrigerator.
  • 16 ounces or about 450 grams dried Rotini pasta to make 8 cups cooked
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup 1% cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups 2% milk
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoon melted butter
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in 1 tablespoon salt.
  2. Boil the Rotini until just tender. Rinse and set aside.
  3. In a large microwave safe bowl or saucepan...melt the butter.
  4. Stir in the flour and salt and stir until smooth. Add a little milk, whisk until smooth and repeat until all the milk has been added. Cook and stir over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring at one minute intervals until the white sauce is thick and bubbly.
  5. Remove from heat and add the cheeses and the pasta.
  6. Turn into a greased casserole dish.
  7. Combine the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the pasta.
  8. Bake uncovered in a 375 oven about 30 minutes or until nicely toasted on top and bubbly around the edges.

19 comments:

  1. Mac and Cheese has always been my favorite dish! Comfort food at its best! This looks yummy so I may have to try it in place of my old "electric company cooking class" recipe.

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  2. I make mac & cheese once a month or so and try to switch it up and try something new every time, but I've NEVER tried it with cottage cheese. I'm going to have to put this one on the roster :)

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  3. This recipe sounds very good! I LOVE a good mac and cheese recipe...I have one very similar that you don't boil the noodles first.....it's good for a super busy day if anyone wants to check it out http://nannamanna-moxie.blogspot.com/2010/10/easy-no-boil-mac-and-cheese-2.html

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  4. I think I am making mac and cheese tonight! Thank you so much for the unique recipe that I am sure will be delicious!

    Jennifer

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  5. I will have to try this recipe. I have another recipe that uses cottage cheese as well, and we like that addition. This one is a bit different though, so I'll give it a try. We've had some illness in our family recently, so this would be a good comfort food to make tonight. Thanks for the idea!

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  6. ahhh, comfort food at its finest!

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  7. That looks really good. BTW your pictures are awesome!

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  8. Oh my word, Lovella!! We had this for supper, and it was delicious. This will be my "go to" mac & cheese recipe from now on. I actually halved the recipe since it was just 3 of us eating tonight, and it still made a nice full 8x8 square pan. I'm already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Thanks again for sharing!

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  9. I might just make this for dinner tonight.

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  10. I've never tried cottage cheese in Mac & Cheese. I will have to try this, thanks!
    Best,
    Gloria

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  11. We now have Costco in Australia and I can finally buy your American yellow cheese - even though it isn't as mature as what I am use to, it is great for cooking. I always buy a block when I am at Costco.

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  12. Fabulous cosy recipe! I wish it were cold enough over here to enjoy this right now, you have my tummy rumbling!

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  13. That looks so wonderful and it is a great way to make pasta. We don't eat it like this in The Netherlands. We eat it with veggies and sauce, but this looks so delicious. I really want to try this. Thank you so much for the recipe.

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  14. Wow bake mac! this is the most popular snack in our canteen back in my high school days. :)

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  15. We love macaroni and cheese - one of the few things that all six of us love! In fact, it's what I was planning to make tonight. This recipe is very different from mine, I might have to try it. Never hurts to have some variety; then we can eat it twice as often!

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  16. I also have the same yellow Tupperware measuring cups!

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  17. I will be pulling this out of the oven for the two little peeps in a few minutes. Smelling so good! A great supper at grammas I figured!

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  18. I made this recipe last night, but I had trouble getting the sauce to thicken properly. I looked up another recipe for a white sauce and found that the ratio of flour and butter was not enough for the amount of milk. If using 4 cups of milk, I needed 1/2 a cup each of flour and butter. The recipe above calls for 1/4 cup. Could this be a typo?

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    Replies
    1. I wonder if it makes a difference on how much the pasta is cooked ahead of time. I don't like my sauce too thick...so maybe it is a preference. Thanks for letting me know. Others might find the same thing.

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