Road Tested: Creamy Mac & Cheese

Here's another one of Debs Road Tested Recipes. This mac and cheese takes a little time to prepare, but is worth it. It can be made with just an electric burner and counter-top oven (once again saving us additional LP expense). The best part is that it refrigerates and reheats well without drying out.

DEBS CREAMY MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp powdered mustard
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (Sargentos recommended)
• 1/2 cup shredded 6 cheese Italian blend (Sargentos recommended)
• 4 slices cooked bacon, drained and crumbled
• 1/4 cup each of additional sharp cheddar & Italian blend cheeses (combined for topping)
• 1/4 cup cheese flavored snack crackers (i.e. Cheez Its) crushed

Directions:

• Boil elbow macaroni in salt water using a sauce pan for 6-7 minutes until almost cooked (al dente). Drain, rinse well with cold water and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan melt butter on medium-low, then add flour while stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth and has cooked for about two minutes.
• Add half-and-half slowly while stirring constantly for 10 minutes. (Do not skip the constant stirring, it is essential for a creamy sauce.) Add salt, pepper, powdered mustard and nutmeg.
• Remove pan from heat and add cheeses, stirring until smooth.
• Combine cooled macaroni with sauce and pour into a buttered 8 inch, square baking pan.
• Sprinkle top first with additional cheeses, then crushed crackers.
• Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes until top is browned and bubbling.
• Add crumbled bacon to topping and serve.

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer

Debs Road Tested Recipes

One of the things both of us are proud of is being darn good fusion cooks. We have always shared meal preparations and love to discover new ways for expanding our talents. A complete day for us is watching the Food Network while preparing great meals.

But living a full-time RV life has forced us to adapt to new, and innovative, ways of cooking. We have less kitchen space, need to purchase ingredients that will supply meals for weeks and save expenses while still producing unique eats. Along the way we have learned that using electric appliances like a crock pot, electric skillet and counter-top convection oven can not only produce great dishes, but also save on additional LP gas expenses. After all, why should we use our gas oven when we paid for an electrical connection in our site fee?

In future postings we will expand on recipes that have worked for us and ways we have saved expenses creating them. For now, here is the first dish that we have come to love because it is not only delicious, but also lasts well in refrigeration after assembly and compliments a variety of meals:

Ramen Noodle Salad

Ingredients:

Dressing

• 4 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 3 tbsp sugar
• salt & pepper to taste
• Flavor packet from chicken Ramen noodles

Salad

• 1 pkg cole slaw mix
• 1 pkg broccoli slaw mix
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 3 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 pkg Ramen noodles crushed and toasted

Directions

• Toast almonds, sunflower seeds and crushed Ramen noodles in toaster oven until golden
• Toss salad ingredients together
• Toss with dressing

Enjoy!

copyright 2009 Lane A Geyer