Virginia sauer's baked macaroni and cheese

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ quart (6 cups) cold water
½ teaspoon Salt
1 pack (7 1/4-ounce) Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Mix *
2 tablespoons Butter or margarine; room temperature
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded Velveeta processed American Cheese Spread
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese **
¼ cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese **
¾ cup Milk **
¼ cup Commercial sour cream **
10 slices (2 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1/2-inch) Velveeta processed American Cheese Spread

Directions

I try to save the name of each contributor (especially when the recipes seem original or in some way unique) and am sharing those I've tried recently from names I don't see on the list anymore. I wouldn't post Mary Spero's because she's here and active (thank goodness!) and reposts many of her wonderful recipes (and all of Mary's are keepers and I save everything she posts).

* I understand that discount warehouses (such as Sam's, or Price Club) sell this cheese mix separately. If this is available to you, you can substitute 1⅓ cups elbow macaroni and 1 ¼ ounces of the cheese mix for the Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Mix. ** The actual ratio of milk and sour cream doesn't really matter. I began adding the sour cream because I drink only skim milk, and wanted more richness in the macaroni. I have even made this using part plain yogurt.

Likewise, I use whichever scraps of cheddar cheese I happen to have on hand. All sharp (or all extra sharp) will be fine.

~ -- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

~ -- Pour water and salt into 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil.

~ -- Stir in macaroni (1 ⅓ cups, which is the amount contained in the deluxe dinner package).

~ -- Continue boiling for 7 minutes. Turn off flame under pot.

~ -- Drain macaroni in colander. (Do not rinse.) ~ -- Pour macaroni into ungreased 1 ½-quart ovenproof casserole.

~ -- Add butter. Stir until butter melts and coats macaroni.

~ -- Add package (1 ¼ ounces) cheese sauce mix (which is the amount contained in the deluxe dinner package), grated cheeses, milk, and sour cream. Stir until thoroughly blended. (If desired, mixture can be prepared up to this point, covered with clear plastic wrap, and left at room temperature -- or refrigerated -- until ready to bake. At that time, uncover and stir ingredients until well combined.) ~ -- Arrange cheese slices over top so that they cover all of the macaroni mixture.

~ -- Bake until golden brown (approximately ½ hour).

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

N. B. To reheat leftovers, cover casserole and bake in 325 degree oven.

Although I normally eschew processed cheese, the Velveeta adds a creaminess which seems impossible to achieve without it.

Posted to TNT Recipes Digest by paraducks1@... (Mary Hathaway) on Mar 10, 1998

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