Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/10/10.shtml

Boy oh boy oh boy! What a great day for this dish! It was chilly outside, and the Mr. and I cleared the front yard of the first layer of leaves after Hurricane Sandy stripped a good bit of them off the trees behind the house. We came in and I put this together with an extra set of hands from him, which was necessary, because it all came together pretty fast.

My experience in the past with baked macaroni dishes end up with them being too dry, and not a creamy delicious mix of melted cheese. Not the case here, with a generous 4 cups of cheese, along with 3 cups of milk. It was everything a baked mac and cheese dish should be. The garlic was in the background, but there, and the bread crumb, parmesan topping was great. The shreds of parmesan browned but didn't disappear, and they added a nice texture of their own to the topping. Sort of like the crispy edges around a grilled cheese sandwich that gives a sort of smoky flavor. It was that good.

We had it with the rest of yesterday's meatloaf, to which I had added about a cup of dried, seasoned kale chips in the middle, before folding the mixture over, and placing in the pan to bake. It was so good, there was nearly no conversation at the table while we rested our weary muscles, and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

A large portion went next door to Julia's house, and she is always happy to help taste test for me. With two working parents and a 9 year old, she gets to add to the dinner table with what we share, and I like that.

My plate:

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)