Homemade Kraft Easy Mac |Cooking With Amanda

Mac and cheese is perhaps my number one desert-island food. Mixed from a box, crafted from a roux, or served in the finest of restaurants, I'll take it all. I make my own, to be sure, and add fancy ingredients like Gruyere and beer. (Really, I add beer to my mac and cheese, and it makes it fancy, not to mention crazy delicious.)

But when you can get creamy, oh-my-gosh-so-good, cheesiest-ever mac and cheese in minutes from the microwave, well, yeah. I'm going to do that.

For those no stranger to the boxed-food aisle, when you need lunch or a snack or dinner in minutes, there's Easy Mac. Grab a container, add some water and stick it in the microwave. Ta da. Done. I know. But this recipe? It's even more addictive and just as fast to make. Plus, it's only three ingredients and it's homemade.

Make a batch in the microwave, then divide what you don't eat right away into pint-size mason jars or Tupperware containers. Refrigerate, and when you need said lunch or snack or dinner over the next few days, just remove the lid of the mason jar (or crack the lid of the Tupperware container) and stick it in the microwave. Easy. Mac.

If Velveeta isn't your thing, I understand (see "Gruyere" above). You may substitute freshly-shredded cheddar cheese for the Velveeta in this recipe. The magic of Velveeta is that it melts so well and makes for a super creamy mac and cheese, but shredded cheddar will work too.

Or a mixture of your favorite cheeses for mac and cheese. Do use a large bowl to make this, even if it fits in a smaller one. The water boils up when cooking the pasta, so the larger bowl helps prevent the water from boiling up and then over.

So if the kids are clamoring for mac and cheese, now, now, now, then you actually can give them mac and cheese now, now, now. And tomorrow and the next day.

Although if they are that demanding, I might not let them know how quickly I made the stuff. No, I might hang out in the kitchen with my book and glass of wine and shout "soon, soon!"

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Homemade Kraft Easy Mac Recipe

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Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow noodles
pinch of salt
3/4 pound velveeta cheese, cubed, or 3/4 pound freshly shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
black pepper, optional

Directions

In a large microwave-safe bowl place the macaroni. Add water to the bowl to just cover the macaroni. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Microwave the macaroni on high for two minutes. Stir and continue to microwave at two minute intervals until the macaroni is cooked al dente. If the pasta absorbs all the water before being cooked, add more water. If there is additional water remaining when cooked, drain the pasta and return to the bowl.
Stir in the Velveeta and milk. Microwave for 30 seconds on high, stir, and continue to melt for another 30 seconds or just until the Velveeta melts. Stir well. Sprinkle with black pepper, if desired.
Divide the macaroni into six microwave-safe containers and store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and eat.