Food Mac -n- Cheeeeeeese!

I hate kraft dinner. Yuck. But DH and DSS love it. So, LOL, there are about 10 boxes of it in the pantry right now. I am not kidding!

I like the real deal... homemade, four cheeses, with buttered bread crumbs on top. Heavenly!!
 
I love mac and cheese baked in the oven so it has a crispy cheesey crust..mmm..mom's homemade is awesome!! I made a crock pot version recently, four cheeses, sour cream...was really creamy and nummy!!!!
 
I prefer homemade too!!! BUT....I love mac and cheese and sometimes you need the easy of the down and dirty "box".....LOL Kraft does have a new one out called Bistro Classics or something like that. It's in a foil type bag, much better than even the shells and cheese. My favorite 'box' though is Annie's, the one with the cheese pouch, no need to add milk or butter....delish!!!

PS- I too like to add a can of tuna to it occasionally.
 
This mac & cheese recipe has, according to the email that accompanied it, gone around the world several times, gathering optional ingredients, and I have included a few of those, you may have your own.

According to internet legend, it is the recipe of a 105 year old lady in North Carolina.

While I cannot confirm either origin or authentic route of its travels, I can tell you that I have made it several times, using many of the optional ingredients, and personally served it to people from every continent on earth, and watched them eat it up, ask for more, and eat that!

Aunt Addie's Macaroni and Cheese

7 oz Muellers Elbow Macaroni
1 can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grated onion (grated, not chopped, you want the juice!)
10-12 ounces grated sharp Cheddar, pepper jack, or mix & match cheese

Optional ingredients include any of the following, singly, or in combination:

pecans
kalamata olives
jalapeno peppers
black olives
mushrooms
diced cooked chicken or ham
thai chiles
cashews
green peas
green, red or yellow bell peppers
bamboo shoots
chopped spinach
capers
broccoli
pine nuts
water chestnuts

just about anything you have on hand and think might taste good in a batch of Aunt Addie's!

Ooops, forgot the instructions. Cook the macaroni, dump it in a greased oven-safe dish with all the other ingredients, including the optionals, cook it in the oven for about 45 minutes, about 400 degrees.
 
I have to admit it's probably up there with my fave things to eat.
I usually make my own (my grandmothers recipe, it's sooo good, covered in breadcrumbs and cheese and baked in the oven :drool: ), but if I'm lazy I'm addicted to the Trader Joe's frozen mac & cheese.

I'm not a fan of the Kraft one, it's a bit slimy for me.