Thursday, November 13, 2008

Mum's Chived Macaroni & Cheese

Over the summer, my mom invited my sister and I to a morbid little dinner. She wanted to go over her 'final' arrangements. She's not old or sick, she's just a planner. She also wanted to let us know her plans for her estate and make sure we were both cool with it. She doesn't want any fighting after she's gone. Family peace is worth more to me than fighting over 'stuff', so I was cool with everything. She asked if there was anything I wanted. I'm not really sentimental about stuff... but there was one thing. I really really wanted the fish dish. It was the casserole dish she always made her Chived Macaroni and Cheese in, when I was a kid. She said, "That? You can just take it home with you!" Well... I guess I haven't made Chived Mac & Cheese since July, because last night was the first time I broke out the dish.

Here it is!
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It's not much... but it's what the mac & cheese is made in! Hey... maybe I am a little sentimental... who knew??

Mum's Chived Macaroni & Cheese (printable recipe)
1 16oz package of pasta (elbows or whatever shape you like around that size)
1/2 C butter
1/4 C flour
2 C milk
1 C sour cream
salt & pepper
2C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 TBLS snipped chives
2 TBLS dry mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook and drain pasta according to directions on package.
In a sauce pan, combine remaining ingredients, stir frequently until slightly thickened and bubbly and all cheese is melted.
Pour pasta & sauce into casserole dish and toss to coat.
Bake at 375 for 25 - 30 minutes.

Options:
Add 1 or 2 cups of chopped ham or sausage for a heartier dish.
Add 1 or 2 cups of your favorite veggies.
Top with bread crumbs or crushed potato chips or crushed French fried onion rings before baking.

I almost always add ham... but I knew it wouldn't fit in the fish dish!

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Here's what you need.
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Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.
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In a sauce pan, combine remaining ingredients, stir frequently until slightly thickened and bubbly and all cheese is melted. (whisk the flour into the milk & sour cream)
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Drain the pasta and toss with sauce... I usually do this in whatever I'm baking it in... but I knew there wasn't much 'tossing' room in my fish dish... so I tossed it in the pasta pot... then poured it into the fish dish.
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Now bake it at 375F for 25 - 30 minutes (or until the top is as crunchy as you like it!)
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Enjoy!!
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5 comments:

  1. ~Amber~November 13, 2008 at 8:06 AM

    Hello beautiful! That mac and cheese looks amazing. That was very kind of your mom to give you that dish.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ErickaNovember 13, 2008 at 10:29 AM

    Isn't it funny the things you remember from a mom's or grandma's collection? My mother had hand lotion dispenser that I just can't forget. And my sister asked specifically for my grandmother's "chicken candy dish" when we were dealing with the estate.

    Thanks for your comments the last couple of days, you captured the feeling exactly with the ice cream cone analogy :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. BobNovember 13, 2008 at 12:06 PM

    That mac and cheese looks wicked good. That's a cool dish too, looks like a giant, clean Swedish fish... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. SpryteNovember 13, 2008 at 12:46 PM

    Ahaha! It does look like a Swedish Fish!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Patti T.August 5, 2010 at 1:18 PM

    Spryte, love the recipe, love the sentimental side of you. That dish is awesome. I wonder if it is the foodie in us that makes certain dishes stand out in our mind, I mean actual dishes not recipes. I will always remember my great grandmothers cow pitcher that you put cream in. My grandmothers bowls we ate cereal out of (Fire King.) Etc. Etc.

    ReplyDelete

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