Food For Friday...

Nothing beats a bowl of good Macaroni & Cheese. I am very proud to say that I have finally been successful in getting my children to eat homemade macaroni and cheese. As far as they were concerned, nothing was better than good ole' Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. That kind is good when you are in a rush, but how could it possibly be better than homemade? I don't understand. Maybe it's just a kid thing. Don't think I haven't tried over the years to introduce them to homemade. I have. Lots of times. The recipes I was trying just couldn't replace the macaroni and cheese that came in the blue box. Until this...

A friend of mine came for lunch this week. Carrie brought some leftover macaroni and cheese that her husband ( who happens to be an awesome cook!) had made. It was good. I needed this recipe. She told me it's the recipe they use at Hoggy's in Columbus, Ohio. I've never even heard of the restaurant, but it was a favorite of theirs. "You can get it off the internet.", she said.

After getting my son from school, I made a stop at the grocery store so that I could get the few ingredients needed to make this dish. That night. I told you it was good!

This recipe was such a hit in our home, my daughter was talking about it the next day. Score one for Mom!

Macaroni & Cheese

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups elbow macaroni pasta, cooked & drained

2 cups mostacolli pasta, cooked & drained

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 eggs, beaten

24 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and place in a 9x13 dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

I'm also sharing a recipe for Macaroni & Cheese that I was using prior to finding the other one. What I like about this one is that it cooks in the crock pot. It's good, but I honestly think the one above is BETTER!

Extra-Cheesy Macaroni & Cheese

1 (8 oz). pkg. shredded Italian three-cheese blend

1 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups milk

1 t. salt

1/4 t. dry mustard

1/4 t. ground red pepper

1/2 t. pepper

8 oz. small shell pasta, uncooked

Combine cheeses in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together eggs and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in pasta and 3 cups cheese mixture. Pour mixture into a lightly greased crock pot. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese mixture. Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Sprinkle servings evenly with remaining cheese mixture.

* The setting on my crock pot for 4 hours is actually the HIGH setting. I stir the macaroni and cheese a few times during the cooking time to prevent burning the edges. Keep an eye on it towards the end as it will dry out and burn. You probably could try it on the 6 hour setting, I just haven't done it.