Macaroni & Cheese

I had this for dinner last night and tought why haven't I put this one up here yet. It's a staple in any mothers cooking repetoire. You can also change it up in so many ways to keep it interesting. All you need is a good cheese sauce and some noodle and you have mac & cheese. Of course to make this a healthy choice the noodles you use make a hyge impact. We are lucky that today in your regular supermarket you ave plenty of healthy choices. Whole wheat is definitely a good choice especially if you get the kind that have flax and omega 3 as well. Your kids will eventually if not immediately prefer these kinds. Another good way to save on some fat and calories is to use stronger flavored cheeses then you don't need as much. I like to use a very sharp cheddar. Old cheddar makes great mac & cheese.

Basic Cheese Sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp flour (can use whole wheat)
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a pot melt the butter then add the flour. Stir them together and cook them until the mixture is slightly golden. Add the mustard and cook another minute. Add milk slowly (1/2 cup at a time) whisking constantly. At this time season your sauce with salt and pepper. Once your sauce has thickend some (consistency of cream soup) then add the cheese and stir until it is all melted. Pour over well drained pasta.

Spicy Cheese Sauce
When you add the mustard also add 1 Tbsp sweet chili sauce, 1 Tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp taco seasoning, 1 tsp hot sauce.

Some other suggestions

• You can add three onion dip mix or other flavored dip mixes (1-2 Tbsp)
• Add peas to your mac & cheese to add more nutrients
• Add meats such as cut up chicken (especially BBQ'd chicken), hot dogs, hamburger, bacon (pork or turkey)
• Change up the seasonings by adding Italian blend or garlic blend
• Use some BBQ sauce in place of the sweet chili

If you have any of your own suggestions please feel free to leave a comment so we can all benifit from what works for you family.