Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Mouth-Watering Mac and Cheese with Sandra Bell Calhoune

Good morning, all! We're so happy to welcome Belle Calhoune back to the cafe! Julie's out for the day, gallivantin' 'round the Eastern shore somewheres, but in her stead we have this amazing and wonderful hybrid author here in the cafe! We've got made-to-order coffee, fresh homemade jams for your scones (I'm jesting about scones, if I'm going to waste carbs it will be on mac and cheese like Belle brought by or CAKE....)  Okay, no scones, little petit fours cakes, instead!!! Hang out, chat it up, or just peek in, grab your coffee and go.... There are no term limits in the cafe!

Ruthy

Hello everyone.  Belle Calhoune here.  It’s such a pleasure to be visiting the Yankee Belle Cafe.

I'm talking macaroni and cheese today.  Finally, after years of making pitiful macaroni and cheese, I've found the recipe of a lifetime. 

I call it the golden ticket recipe, because I have struggled for many years to make a fantastic macaroni and cheese.  My sister Karen has always been able to whip up a mouthwatering macaroni, which my kids raved over.  Sadly, every single time I tried to make it, the macaroni came out overcooked or bland or blah.  It just wasn't gooey or creamy or cheesy.  It was a big ole dud.  Bring out the tiny violins everyone. 

Enter one of the miracles of my life.  The slow cooker.



Now cue the halo music.  Ta Dah!   About four years ago I purchased a slow cooker and began experimenting with recipes.  Ribs.  Pulled pork.  Chicken.  Chili.  And yes....mac n' cheese.  Where had this slow cooker been all my life?  If I wasn't already married, I would have proposed.  As a writer with deadlines, the simplicity of the slow cooker is extremely appealing.  As a wife and mother who enjoys putting delectable dishes on the dining room table at night, I've found dozens and dozens of recipes that satisfy all the members of my family.  This macaroni and cheese recipe is my all-time favorite.  I've served it at Thanksgiving, Christmas and upon request from my children.  It's that good!  And it's very simple to make.  And like Charlie in Willie Wonka, I found my golden ticket. 





Mouth-watering Mac n' cheese

One box of elbow macaroni (cooked and drained)

1/2 cup of sour cream
1 cup of milk
1 can of Campbell's condensed cheese soup
1 ½ cups of (orange) cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups of white sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of ground mustard
1 teaspoon of adobo or seasoned salt
½ tsp pepper
3 tablespoons of butter

Boil pasta for six minutes, then drain.



The crock pot should be set to high.  Add pasta to crock pot along with grated cheeses, cheddar soup, sour cream, butter, milk and eggs.  Mix all together then add all the seasonings.  If desired, add additional cheese or sour cream.



You can periodically check back to make sure it is not browning too much at the sides.  You can stir every now and again.

2 hours to 2.5 hours on high is pretty near perfection although slow cooker times vary.  You can always check on it and look at the sides.  If they are browning too much you can always turn the temp down to low.  The cheese is very flexible also.  You can use different types of cheese or add more or less depending on your taste.  I once caught my youngest adding more cheddar cheese to the crock pot when she thought I wasn’t looking.  I let it slide since she’s pretty adorable.

I have to admit that I left out the butter this last time.  And guess what? I was the only one who knew.   You couldn't taste it at all.  And I still am on the fence about the little brown crunchies on the sides of the macaroni....some people love them while others don't.  The longer you cook it, the more brown crunchies you’ll get.



I honestly think this is the macaroni and cheese recipe I will stick to like glue.  It is perfection.  And it can be tweaked.  Bacon bits can be added to the mac n cheese.  Add some lobster for a nice seafood lobster mac n’ cheese.  Bread crumbs can be sprinkled over the top at the end.  Or if you want to add some veggies, broccoli can be placed on top as well.  A friend of mine added sliced hotdogs for her five year old son.

The lovely Julie Hilton Steele posted about what she’s thankful for during this Thanksgiving season.  I’m very thankful for my family.  My husband, Randy, never complains about all the time I spend writing.  My lovely daughter, Amber, is a freshman in college and enjoying the transition immensely.  My 12 year old Sierra is blossoming into a lovely young lady and feeling empowered about her dyslexia. I’m thankful to be living the life I always imagined.  God is good.



31 comments:

  1. yay we're back to CARBS!!! :-) we're down to 2 eating carbs - Virginia and Missy - and Ruthy comes up with some carbs when she's not lowcarbing it but this week has had 2 days of no- carbs and I was starting to panic!
    ok actually I think it' s good to get some lower carb ideas since I don't really 'need' as many carbs as I take in but I get really grouchy with no carbs and I think mac and cheese would un-grump me!
    cant say I blame the kid for sneaking in more cheese- after all calcium is important for women
    Susanna

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    1. LOL. I have a friend who eats no carb an her diet is pretty much beef, chicken and cheeses. It is SO WEIRD. But hey, apparently it doesn't give you a heart attack like it seems it would, but might be good for you? Not sure how it can be, but that's what she says.
      Me, I'll stick to veggies and fruit, a little meat when needed, and whole grains.

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    2. Yes, I think carbs in moderation are fine, although I have to admit I try to limit my breads. I love bread way too much, especially piping hot right out of the oven. This recipe is not something you would make all the time. It really is a scrumptious treat. And Virginia...your friend eating no carbs? My brother did something like that on Atkins and he lost a bunch of weight. He gradually added them back into his diet and still maintained his weight loss.

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    3. Yes, she has dropped a lot of weight but I just wonder about her arteries. LOL. Well, also I have an issue with how most meat is processed/farmed, especially chicken. But that's a rabbit hole we don't want to go down. We'll all end up over on the PETA site, declaring ourselves vegan. I just think an all-meat diet can't be good for the body OR the environment. And I'd miss fruit. A lot.

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  2. LOL, SUSANNA!!!! Hahahahahahahahah! Oh my stars, you're so funny. Hey, in my case, as the age creeps up, I'm 5' 2" tall and it's way too easy for a writer to pack on pounds so that's my defense of my pre-emptive strikes before the holidays set in! And the fact that I need to fit into my clothes... oh Meeska, Mooska, Mousketeers, it's tooooooo easy to love all the wrong things!

    Doesn't this recipe look amazing? I'm totally making this and eating it, Susanna, so we can enjoy it together, miles apart!

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    1. I'm 5'2 also....actually 5'2 and a half. Gotta get that extra half inch in. I'm actually not a huge mac n' cheese fan, but this recipe is so yummy I find it irresistible. And I won't even pretend that it isn't laden with calories.

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    2. Belle, I've got that half-inch, too!!! :) I try to remind myself about moderation.... but I think my nature is a little too obsessive and then I become obsessive about sweets.... I can do dinner carbs in moderation, but I love my sweets. Soooooo much!

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    3. 5'4"... I WIN! And I'm not into sweets. But if there are chips in the house I will eat them. Therefore... I buy a tiny bag when we have a party. They're gone in five minutes and no left overs! Pre-emptive strike!

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    4. I actually love sweets...and I only like Kettle chips. And you do win at 5'4. But guess what...my 12 year old is 5'6.

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  3. Oh, YUMMY!!! I can't make mac and cheese to save my life. Maybe I'll try this recipe. I liked the bacon addition. Was that for the healthier version? lol

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    1. Trust me. I couldn't either. This recipe really changed my game. It's pretty cool to have my girls go over to the crock pot and shout, "Yay. Mac n' cheese." Not sure they were celebrating my former mac n' cheese recipes.

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  4. God is good, because like Virginia, I have never, ever been able to master mac and cheese.

    Bacon. It isn't just for breakfast anymore.

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    1. Hey. I used to have that problem. And it really bugged me. But...the problem has been solved. Permanently. I really pray nothing ever happens to my crock pot.

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  5. Hahaha! Suzanna. I agree. A carb a day keeps the crazy away.

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  7. I usually make mine on the stove top, but I love my slow cooker and I will give this version a try! Thank you for the great recipe Sandra!

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    1. Thanks Piper. It really is yummy. I was stunned because my efforts were just so dismal. But this recipe is really great and it is flexible because you can control certain aspects of it and add other ingredients to experiment with it. Let me know how it works out if you try it.

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  8. I'm a mac & cheese connoisseur. This looks yummy! One of my favorite things to add is ham, cut into bite-size pieces. All that goodness in one pot is wonderful. Thanks for sharing, Belle.

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  9. Hi Angel. The ham is a great idea since that's a favorite in my house. And like yourself, I'm suddenly a mac and cheese connoisseur. God bless the crock pot.

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  10. Never thought you could do mac and cheese in crockpot. Thanks!

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  11. Yes, Heather. Trust me it works. And it's so easy when you think about it. Once you cook the pasta you just fold everything in to the pasta in the crockpot. Let me know if you try it and like it.

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  12. I love mac and cheese and have had difficulties making it too...who would think mac and cheese would be such a challenge? I'm going to give this recipe a try. The sour cream is an interesting twist!

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    1. Hi Kav. You're right. The sour cream adds more moisture and you can't really taste it in the final product. It's just an extra layer to a fairly straightforward recipe. I hope you make it!!!

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  13. Oh, my, does this look fabulous!!!! I think you brought a winning recipe to the cafe today, Belle.

    I'm a crock pot lover, too! I'm using it today for a big batch of herby beef stew, and the house will be smelling WONDERFUL in about two hours :)

    You're SO RIGHT about the crock pot being the writer's friend. It's the homeschool mom's best friend, too. Actually, anyone who needs a shortcut to hearty home cooking, right?

    I actually keep a spare on hand...a smaller one that I can use for side dishes or a pot of hot spiced cider. But I'm seriously thinking about buying another big one to use at Thanksgiving and to keep around in case my current on bites the dust. It's getting close to 14 years old, and that's ancient for an appliance you use as much as I use this one!

    Now. Let's talk low carb. People eating low carb love to substitute cauliflower for pasta and potatoes. The mild flavor and soft texture lend the same kind of base for a lot of the same casseroles. So I'm going to try this with cauliflower, and I'll share my findings (yea or nay) here at the cafe :)

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    1. Hi Jan! I am a big believer in the crockpot. And I've converted my husband too. He recently made his famous ribs in my crockpot and I was fairly shocked. So happy to hear you've had your crockpot for 14 years. I actually shattered my lid last year and I actually cried. Sappy, but yes I did. My husband ran out and bought me another one that same day. LOL. Who wants to deal with a sappy wife? Or maybe he just wanted to eat mac n' cheese. LOL. I am a big fan of cauliflower and would love to know how that substitution works.

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  14. Looks yummy. Going to have to try this sometime.

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    1. Hi Nadia. Definitely try it. On a cold, wintry morning. It will cook while you do something else.

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  15. I have been thinking of lobster mac and cheese all morning. We only us our crock pot once in a while because it's huge. I want to get one of those two person mini ones! Thanks for such a yummy recipe.

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    1. Hi Julie. Lobster mac and cheese is so delicious. We have a favorite place in Cape Cod that makes it. But you could easily throw some fresh lobster into this recipe....and it would be totally yummy. Sending you good vibes today.

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  16. I'm late but glad in didn't miss this!! Thanks for sharing, Belle! I too love my crock pot. I can't wait to make this!

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  17. I'm late, too. It's been one of *those* kind of weeks; I've been behind a day all week (and the week's only half over). Ask me sometime about cooking my Christmas fruitcakes for three hours at 325 degrees INSTEAD OF two hours at 275 degrees. Anyway, hubby and I adore mac and cheese, and I like sure-fire crockpot recipes, so I'm definitely going to try this.

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