I have had it in my head for a while now that I wanted some of the homestyle creamy baked mac n’ cheese. Inspiration hit with the snow coming down today, wanting some comfort food, so I just did it. I had been wondering if you could use a box of Kraft as the start to “good” mac & cheese, too. I had some stuff in the ‘fridge & pantry to make it happen. Posting it here to remember what I did.

I didn’t really measure, but this is close…

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Kraft mac & cheese (noodles & powder packets)
• ½ cup butter & ¼ cup butter (for later)
• ½ cup flour
• 1 block sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz.?), grated
• 4 cubed chunks (approx. 1″ cubes) of Velveeta (I used the Aldi version)
• 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
• 2½ cups 2% milk
• ½ cup half & half
• ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¾ plain breadcrumbs
• yellow mustard (a dash)
• ground mustard (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• white pepper (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• onion powder (to taste)
• garlic powder (to taste)
• table blend salt-free seasoning (to taste)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Boil the pasta in some water with bit of salt, for about 5 minutes… the time on the box overcooks them.
3. Melt ½ cup butter in a cause pan on medium, stir in the flour (season it here), cook 2 or 3 min. until golden.
4. Slowly stir in milk & half & half. (Season it here too.)
5. Slowly stir in the grated sharp cheddar & chunks of Velveeta. I put the squirt of mustard in here. (Season it here too.)
6. Slowly stir in one of the cheese powder packets from the Kraft box. (Season it here too.)
7. Drain the pasta when it’s done while you’re doing all that, then put it in an 8″x8″ glass baking dish.
8. Stir in your cheese sauce. (If I understand correctly, that was a roux, then a béchamel, then a mornay… right?) Season it again if you nasty, and you’re reading this, so I know you are.
9. Melt the ¼ cup of butter in a small bowl with a handle. (Season it here too.)
10. Stir the breadcrumbs, the other Kraft cheese packet, & the table blend seasoning into the butter bowl.
11. Sprinkle the shredded colby jack on top of the cheese n’ macaroni.
12. Spread the buttery cheesy breadcrumbs on that.
13. Pop it in the oven for like 18 minutes.

Notes:

• I popped it in for 20 minutes, and while the breadcrumbs got a little overdone, they weren’t quite burnt. I may cover it in foil for a bit next time, or put the breadcrumbs on after a bit of cooking?
• I’ll use a bullion cube in with the macaroni next time. I do that with pasta a lot but was worried the Kraft cheese packets may be salty, they weren’t as bas as I expected.
• I needed some grated parmesan shake cheese, but didn’t use any because I couldn’t find it. Ha ha.
• What about crushed Cheeze-Its instead of breadcrumbs? What about bacon pieces in there?

Have you done this? Obviously I could just use regular pasta & forgo the Kraft powdered cheese sauce concoction. Got any tips or tricks? If you say nutmeg or cinnamon you can see yourself all the way out.

Share your thoughts in the comments!