M is for "Macaroni and Merlot"

lol, they can't all be gems. :P

last night i spent a wonderful evening with the better half enjoying a fabulous meal of macaroni and merlot. baked macaroni (or as i like to call it, "fluffy" macaroni) is one of my absolute favorite comfort foods and so i thought i'd share some great macaroni recipes with you :)

BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 1/2 cups macaroni, cooked
2 cups thin white sauce (see below)
2 tsp. grated onion
1/2 pound grated cheese
fine buttered bread crumbs
paprika

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook and drain macaroni and place in a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole. Blend onion and cheese with white sauce and pour over cooked macaroni.

Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and paprika. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

THIN WHITE SAUCE:

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup whole milk (we like ours a little sweet so we substitute with 14 oz can of condensed milk and 1/4 cup of 2% milk)
1/4 tsp. salt

Melt butter at 200-212°F in saucepan, microwave or double boiler.

Add flour to butter and whisk well to blend. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Allow to cook over medium-low heat until sauce simmers and thickens to desired consistency. Add salt, to taste. If you prefer a richer sauce, use 2 tbsp. flour and 2 tbsp. butter.

Serves 4 or 5.

there is also an equally delicious and healthier version for all my vegan friends:

Best Vegan Mac and Cheese in the entire world...seriously

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pasta, preferably macaroni

"Cheese" Sauce:
1 1/2 cups unsweetened nondairy milk
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 (12 ounce) block firm (not silken) tofu
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon vegesal or in lack of fancy product, just use salt
1 dollop mustard, optional

optional topping: vegan bread crumbs. take 3 or 4 slices of your favorite vegan bread. you can either lightly toast them or let them stand out on your counter in open air for about 30-45 minutes. after that, put them in your food processor and finely chop. voila! sprinkle over your mac and "cheese" prior to baking.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil water in a big pot and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Add all of the "cheese" sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Once pasta is cooked, drain and put it in the baking pan (about the size of a brownie pan). Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta.

3. Bake until the top of the pasta looks slightly browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.

This is very simple and tastes amazing! If you are cooking for yourself, it will last about 5 days if you eat it for all three meals of the day.