Mueller's Macaroni and Cheese
This has been a favorite for me since my days as a wee Kapes. Growing up, baked macaroni and cheese was my absolute favorite. I remember calling my mother for the recipe during my first year away, and was shocked that such an amazing family recipe was taken from a box of elbow macaroni! A quick visit to Google, and I was on a decadent trip down memory lane... The recipe from the box can be found here, and I won't reproduce it fully, but I do want to write about some of the modifications my mother and I have introduced over the years that have made this dish feel new to me all over again...
Immediately after stirring the pasta into the milk mixture I add chopped bacon to the mix. I precook it in the microwave (as I have one of those microwavable bacon dishes that makes the bacon come out crispy every time). MikeDub really likes this addition, as it reminds him of carbonara (effectively taking him on his own memory trip to his poppa's kitchen).
Tomato Slices
I think the bacon bits are optional, but I will never make this dish without the tomatoes again. Just before pouring the mac and cheese mixture into the greased pan, I stir in diced tomatoes. Pour into the pan, and then add some tomato slices to the top. Don't forget to remove the liquid and seeds from the tomato before adding it in.
Crumb Topping
This addition comes straight from Kapes' Momma's Kitchen, and I feel it's just not Mac and Cheese without it! Melt 1 tbsp. of butter or margarine. Add breadcrumbs slowly, so that they soak up the butter evenly. Once the crumb mixture starts to look more free flowing and less clumpy, it is ready. Top the casserole and do the final bake. As a child I called this part the "crunchies" and made every effort to skim off just the top of the mac and cheese for my portion. Delicious!
