http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/family-favorite-macaroni-and-cheese/4533ea52-0194-4fce-b30f-9516a74c0628

I've used this one for years. It is super easy and delicious. I don't use Worcestershire sauce and I use sharp cheddar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:fill pot with water, boil
open box, remove packet of fake dry cheese, empty contents into boiling water and stir
drain and add fake cheese and milk and butter serve

YEP! K-R-A-F-T!

+1000000000 all my kids will eat. Yuck, but at least it gets them fed.

Can you describe the restaurant dishes? Honestly every we've gone and ordered mac and cheese at a restaurant seems to be very box-like and my kids don't like it.

Thanks for the responses. To clarify, we do sometimes make it out of the box, but it's not as good as what they've had in restaurants. They want something that resembles what they've had in restaurants, and I was considering making as a Thanksgiving side.

I wish our kids would eat from a box

Sweet Potato Mac n Cheese. Easy to make. Freeze half for another week. Serve with peas or broccoli or salad.

Mac and Cheese with Sweet Potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes
kosher (or regular) salt to taste
16 ounces (3 2/3 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (We omitted this)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups milk
1 garlic clove, minced
16 ounces elbow macaroni (or whatever kind of pasta, including whole wheat)
freshly ground pepper

1) Scrub and pierce the skin of and the sweet potatoes and microwave until tender, about 7 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces. (I often leave the skin on)

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a large casserole dish or 13×9 inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

3) In a large bowl, combine the cheddar, Parmesan, and flour and toss until well combined. Set aside.

4) In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the cream cheese over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the milk and garlic until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.

5) Add the pasta to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes, or until just al dente (if you use a larger pasta or whole wheat pasta, cook for another couple of minutes). Drain the macaroni and immediately return it to the pot. Add the cheddar mixture to the macaroni and stir well. Add the cream cheese mixture and sweet potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

6) Transfer the whole thing to the prepared dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until piping hot.

Alton Brown's Stove Top Mac n Cheese! I don't get the excitement over baked mac n cheese. This one can taste a little mustardy the day of, but is fine by the next day. You just omit the mustard altogether if your kids don't like it. I sometimes make a double batch and freeze individual portions.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

Directions

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain. Return to the pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into the pasta and add the cheese. Over low heat continue to stir for 3 minutes or until creamy.

Here's how I make it - no mustard (I've never heard of that). My kids beg for this, but they've never had it from a box, so who knows. Sort of writing this by memory.

1. Melt 4 TBSP butter, mix in 4 TBSP flour until bubbly.
2. When thickened, add 2 cups whole milk.
3. Bring just to a boil, reduce, cook for a minute or so until it's nice and thick
4. Add some shredded sharp cheddar (8 oz?)
5. Mix into a box of cooked whole wheat shells
6. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top
7. Bake at 350 until browned a bit

Trader Joe's frozen Mac n Cheese

Anonymous wrote:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-mac-and-cheese/

I use 3 cups of mixed cheese instead of 2 cups of cheddar and nix the paprika. I also top with shredded cheese before adding the breadcrumbs.

Cover w/foil while baking and just remove for the last 10 minutes.

This is the one I use, but I cut the bread crumbs in half.

My daughter loves this one with tofu we make sometimes. You can hardly taste the dijon. Double the cheese, or else it's just plain not cheesy enough. She eats around the artichokes, but I love them.

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-bighearted-mac-cheese-w-137483

And the whole family loves this one with butternut squash:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-light-macaroni-cheese-50400000115195/

Anonymous wrote:fill pot with water, boil
open box, remove packet of fake dry cheese, empty contents into boiling water and stir
drain and add fake cheese and milk and butter serve

YEP! K-R-A-F-T!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-mac-and-cheese/

I use 3 cups of mixed cheese instead of 2 cups of cheddar and nix the paprika. I also top with shredded cheese before adding the breadcrumbs.

Cover w/foil while baking and just remove for the last 10 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:fill pot with water, boil
open box, remove packet of fake dry cheese, empty contents into boiling water and stir
drain and add fake cheese and milk and butter serve

+1 (we use Annie's, so might be marginally less fake cheese)

fill pot with water, boil
open box, remove packet of fake dry cheese, empty contents into boiling water and stir
drain and add fake cheese and milk and butter serve

I've tried a couple of recipes that my kids didn't like- too much mustard, I think. They love the Panera and Parkway Deli Mac and Cheese. Any favorite recipes?