posted by:TtownMom

We love the blue box.  It was the one packaged food I would reach for even when Brenden was about a year and still reach for it today.  Thankfully Annie's has a gluten free version.  It wasn't until I read that article about how much salt is in this gorgeous blue box that I had to rethink it.  But making homemade macaroni and cheese is packed with fat and takes WAY to much time.  I've tried the crockpot version and failed miserably.  You could cut it with a knife.  Not good.

So imagine my delight as I'm thumbing through one of my trusty cookbooks(Betty Crocker) when I stumbled across a recipe for oven-top mac n cheese.  I put my own spin on it to make it work for our house, but it was quick, easy, lower in salt than the blue box and lower in fat than the baked version.  I had the sauce made and ready to pour by the time the pasta had finished cooking.  The boys chowed.  It's even the same color as the stuff out of the blue box.

So happy dining and cooking!

Oven-Top Macaroni and Cheese(makes four main course servings)

1 T butter(Jungle Shortening for dairy free)

1 T flour(tapioca starch for gluten free)

3/4 cup milk of choice

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of choice(or try 2 T of nutritional yeast and 4 T almond butter)

Start pasta water to boil.  Shred 1 1/2 cups of cheese(this took about 3 minutes).  I used a medium cheddar.  Melt butter in large skillet.  Once melted, sprinkle flour over top.  Stir to combine.  You just made a roux, aren't you fancy?!  Whisk in 3/4 cup milk until combined. 

Is your water boiling? Toss in whole wheat or GF pasta of choice.

Sprinkle a little of the cheese over milk and stir in.  Continue until all the cheese has been added and melted in. 

Drain pasta from water and toss into skillet with cheese sauce.  Stir to combine and serve!