Southern Comfort Macaroni and Cheese

Need a hug? Bring it in. Need to talk? I'm all ears. Need to cry? My shoulder is ready. Need to emotionally eat? I've got you covered....nothing says love like food. Especially Southern comfort food. Food celebrates everything and comforts anything. New Baby-bring food. Death in a family-bring food. New home-bring food. Broken heart-bring food...and booze.

Simply put, food is my love language. If my boys are coming home for the weekend to visit, I like to have their favorite foods available so they can fill up their bellies and take home the rest. From Chicken Enchiladas, deviled eggs, pumpkin bread to macaroni and cheese. Doesn't matter what it is. It's my way of saying I love you, I've missed you, I want you to leave happy and I want you to come back and visit your family! Hint, hint Ryan and Matthew.

I'm not a world class chef and don't pretend to be (although I would LOVE to have my own cooking show and MAYBE I've pretended to host my own cooking show a time or two..."Kat's Kitchen" just sayin'). But I am a world class home cooking Mama. I'm someone who loves to cook and bake ALL the things that are supposed to be bad for you, AKA comfort food.

Food that smells like a long warm hug, chewy like a good conversation, spicy enough to make you cry happy food tears, all of it fulfilling your emotional needs. Yup-that's my style. And that's probably why I'm over weight too. But that's for another blog post (thyroid-I'm blaming it all on the thyroid).

So for those of you I can't reach over and hug. For my boys who don't visit home nearly enough. Here is my way of saying I love you, one of my favorite recipes: Southern Comfort Macaroni and Cheese.


             Southern Comfort Macaroni and Cheese

Preheat Oven to 375

Ingredients

1 pound medium cut elbow macaroni and cheese noodles

8oz sharp cheddar cheese

8oz monterey jack cheese

1 pound block of Velveeta cheese (store brand works fine too)

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 large eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

1 stick of unsalted butter

Optional

*I like to add a can of drained rotel to my macaroni and cheese-my boys like the heat*

*Crumbled up bacon taste amazing with this too*

Instructions

Spray a 4 quart baking dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Boil noodles, rinse, drain-set aside

Shred the cheddar cheese and jack cheese-mix together-set aside

Pour milk into a large saucepan and warm over medium heat

Cut Velveeta into chunks and add into saucepan

Cook on medium heat and stir often until melted

Remove from heat-set aside

Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and lightly whisk

{Temper the Eggs: tempering prevents eggs from scrambling in the hot cheese sauce}

Scoop out some of the hot cheese sauce and slowly add it to the eggs

Continue to whisk the eggs and cheese until well combined

Add half of the elbow macaroni noodles to the baking pan

Season with salt, pepper and optional ingredients

Slice thin layers of butter and spread them around the top of the noodles

Sprinkle 1/2 of  cheddar/jack cheese combo over the noodles

Ladle 1/2 of the Velveeta cheese sauce over that

Repeat the layers of noodles, seasonings, butter, cheeses and Velveeta sauce

Cook at 375 degrees uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned

Enjoy!!

(recipe adapted from Deep South Dish)