So I make killer Mac and Cheese but my 5 year old

[TBA]

grandson hates it. He wants the box kind. So since I have committed to cooking from scratch I was in a bit of a conundrum.

I compromised a bit an bought cheese powder on Amazon and I now make the "box kind".

I basically make a sauce of melted butter, cheese powder, buttermilk powder and a good portion of brewers yeast for the extra nutrition. Thin with a bit of milk and toss the cooked macaroni in it.

Not gourmet mind you but he loves it (with all of the extra nutrition!). I actually eat it too although I prefer my fancy homemade.

Also I make it at a fraction of the "box kind" price.

So here is to a granny victory!

[Else You Are Mad]

1. How is that powder?

I saw that in my supermarket the other day and wanted to buy it because I love boxed Mac and cheese once in a while.

[TBA]

9. This is what I bought

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2FPTT4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Next time I'll go with the white version because I don't need the neon orange.

It's tasty. We also put it on popcorn. It clumps a bit so you will need to whisk it well. I think the buttermilk powder adds flavor and I think lowers the price because it streches the cheese powder

Will try this one next:
https://www.amazon.com/Hoosier-Hill-Farm-Daddy-Color/dp/B00X1LRZJ4/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1490875517&sr=1-3&keywords=Famous+Hoosier+Hill+Farm+Cheddar+Cheese

[TxDemChem]

2. Wow, you rocked it

I may need to try that technique one day.

[japple]

3. Advice: get a box of that Kraft mac & cheese and

keep the box on hand to set on the counter whenever your grandchildren come over to eat.

I have a nephew who was the same way. He refused to eat my homemade baked mac & cheese, even though everyone who eats it raves about it. I used the recipe from the old Betty Crocker cookbook for "Baked Macaroni & Cheese." It has a bit of onion in it, but most people are surprised about that. I have also started to add a bit of dry mustard to jazz it up a bit, and use sharp cheese to give it a bite. Now, I use this recipe (I think it's from Ronzoni). I use large macaroni and only cook it 3 minutes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (optional)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups (8 oz.) elbows, uncooked
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
8 oz. sliced American cheese, broken into 2-inch pieces.


Directions

Heat oven to 350F.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter, add onion. Cook 2 mintues. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and seasonings, cook, stiffing frequently, until mixture boils and thickens.

Meanwhile, cook pasta (I cook it for 3 min. because it will get additional cooking in the oven) according to package directions, drain. Stir cheeses into sauce. In 2-quart baking dish, stir together pasta and cheese sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly in a 350 degree oven.

Number of Servings: 8

[Vinca]

8. That's pretty much the recipe I use.

I thought I'd made it up myself so I guess I'm not as bright as I thought. LOL. Anyhow, instead of the American cheese I use more extra sharp cheddar and some parmesan. I also used a dollop of brown mustard instead of dry mustard. Sometimes I use shallots instead of onions and I usually make it with rotini to catch all the cheesy goodness. I undercook the pasta a little so I can put it in a casserole dish, top with Townhouse cracker crumbs and a sprinkle of paprika and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. It's our ultimate comfort food.

[TBA]

10. Thanks. I'm keeping this one.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

18. One small trick that I learned in school

When making a Bechamel (the Mother sauce for Cheddar-the cheese sauce) was to put in a few drops of Tabasco sauce. It has salt, vinegar, and pepper. It adds a tiny bit of a sharp note to add to the sauce. Only about 6 - 8 drops per quart of sauce (more or less depending on your taste), you can't really taste it, but you'll know if it isn't there.

The salt intensifies flavors, while the vinegar adds a bit of acid, and the pepper gives a tiny "sharp" note.

I have almost all of my sons' friends addicted to my Mac & Cheese, fresh out of the oven, covered in a nice layer of toasted Panko crumbs.

[japple]

19. That's a tip to keep on hand. Thanks for sharing it. Will bookmark this

and will add toasted Panko to my next batch.

[PennyK]

4. I grew up with the box kind

And to me, homemade and baked is unappealing.
These days, I follow a low-carb regimen, so I make cauliflower fake-a-roni, and I make a sauce of American cheese, cream cheese, a bit of mustard, and cream. Tastes just right to me!

[Warpy]

5. 5 year olds aren't famous for refined palates

You'll be able to make the real thing again in a few years.

[inanna]

6. So true!

When I was five I hated olives, green peppers, and even the stuffing from a turkey.

I now love all of those things.

You are right. Often, our tastes change as we mature.

I still DETEST liver though. That will never change...

[Warpy]

7. Oh, same here. I couldn't get it down even when I was going through

a period of real hunger and somebody bought me lunch and that was on the employee menu.

My ex loved it and in the first blush of twoo wuv I agreed to cook some for him one night, although there was no way I'd eat it. When I had to lean over and hurl into the trash can he knew that wasn't going to happen again. So when he had a liver craving, we went out to eat. I didn't care if he ate it in front of me, just never ask me to eat the stuff.

I've eaten grasshopper, snake, mud bugs, and dog. Just don't ask me to eat their livers.

[Hortensis]

17. I'd never ever had liver until an ex- military cook behind

the counter of a butcher shop in Borscht-Belt Hollywood convinced 18-year-old, newly married, goyishe me (what a child I must have been, and what a kind guy!) to do liver and onions military style. Won't say you'd like it, but I'd never cooked before marriage and that became one of my few early genuinely decent dinners. My husband liked it, amazingly even I liked it with the liver soaked in milk and fried with onions and bacon grease (!), and my new Jewish MIL didn't fault it.

[japple]

11. Our problem eater is 10 years old and he still only eats oranges and bread at

most of our family Sunday dinners. Oh, and dessert. He actually doesn't even eat the oranges--he just squeezes the juice in his mouth. He will eat mac & cheese and some kinds of meat, but he won't touch vegetables of any kind--not even potatoes or corn.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. With all due respect to your grandson's parents,

he may well be growing up eating nothing but boxed or fast foods.

I sometimes do a stint at feeding the homeless, and sometimes the menu that night calls for mashed potatoes. I'll peel, boil, and mash ten pounds of potatoes. Invariably the others who contribute mashed potatoes buy some sort of packaged mix at Sam's Club. Somewhat easier to make, but invariably their potatoes turn to glue rather quickly. I've learned to stir in heated milk to un-glue them.

Also, if you do boil potatoes, do NOT cover them after they're done cooking because the real potatoes will also turn to glue. Leave the top off, let them cool down naturally, and you'll be okay.

Also a while back I was once a week making baked treats to bring into my job. Cookies, cakes, brownies. It was disheartening to realize how many of my co-workers had NEVER tasted anything made from scratch. Even what you get any more from bakeries comes from mixes of some kind.

[TBA]

13. No father in picture, daughter in law school

I cook for them regularly. We try to get him to eat healthy foods but I sometimes resort to disguise, ergo the brewers yeast in the recipe.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

14. Thanks for the additional information.

His tastes are now more understandable. And good for you for helping out when you can.

[trof]

15. My grandson lived on peanut butter for about a year when he was 5.

Now he's 14 and a foodie.
Courage!

[Hortensis]

16. Here's to granny victories. My last biggie was telling our

youngest grandson that fried shrimp were crackers. He's wanted "cockoos" ever since but is getting old enough to wise up. Oh, well. Another sucker was born 5 days ago.