Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Extra Cheesy- Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I made several different side dishes for Thanksgiving this year and I decided to share one that ended up being a big hit in this house.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk (I used 1%)

1/4 cup yellow onion, finely diced

2 teaspoons garlic powder (use more of less depending on taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large egg

12 ounces shredded cheddar

About ½ small brick of Velveeta (original flavor)

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

Optional: Pinch of cayenne

For the topping:

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs (or other bread crumbs of choice)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook your pasta according to the packages directions.

While the pasta is cooking, melt your butter & whisk in the flour for about five minutes (you don’t want any clumps).

Stir in remaining ingredients and keep stirring until Velveeta is completely melted and all the ingredients are well blended (about 5-10 minutes).

Note: Leave some cheese to sprinkle on top or just use some extra as I did.

Fold the macaroni into the mix & pour into a casserole dish.

 For the bread-crumb topping you want to melt the butter in a pan and coat the bread crumbs in it.

Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs & bake for about ½ hour or more. (Depending on how browned you like the top of it).

Let this dish set for a few minutes before serving, enjoy!

-Sara

Food for thought.

“I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift.” ― Shauna Niequist

 (pretty clouds)

 (beautiful sunset)

(enjoying the last of the fall weather before winter comes)

This quote made me smile this morning and gave me a chance to reflect on things before starting my day. It made me wonder how I can find the joy in any situation or circumstance? There is so much beauty and joy in life even when we don't think there is anything to smile about anymore. Just like everyone else in this world I struggle and get caught up in things that aren't important, and sometimes life in general is just hard! However, I think it is important for all of us to take a step back and realize how much joy we can find in the simple things and that most things that society deems as important (money, status, material things) won't really matter in the end. We make a choice everyday whether or not we are going to be thankful for what we do have and see the good or the bad in any situation. Which one will you choose to do?

-Sara

A new start

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers  or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. " Titus 2

This is the type of woman that I am striving to be, just as the Lord intended. However, I am not perfect and I am broken in so many ways and this is something I struggle with everyday...... I am thankful for the Lord's grace! 

This blog will share the adventures, joy, tears, and sometimes chaos of my everyday life as a follower of Christ, wife and momma to a sweet little girl. 

-Sara