ST. LOUIS MAC & CHEESE

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St. Louis mac & cheese image

I never liked mac & cheese until I played around with the ingredients and came up with this one. I call it St.Louis mac & cheese only because that's my home town. Don't rush the prep time and of course the bake time is approximate.

Provided by Sheilagh Lange Romero

Categories     Pasta

Time 1h30m

Number Of Ingredients 10

butter
whole milk
velveeta cheese
cheddar cheese
monterey jack cheese
cream cheese
bacon bits
ritz crackers
macaroni noodles
salt and pepper

Steps:

  • 1. All measurements are approximate based on how much I want to make and how "soupy" you want the cheese mixture to be. I like it to be pretty soupy to start with because it will thicken up after baking. I eyeball the amount of noodles to add also. But for the most part these are the measurements: 1 medium box/bag of macaroni elbows or shells. Boil noodles 10 minutes
  • 2. Put an extra large heavy stainless steel bowl on top of low heat on the stove top. After the bowl is hot, add 1 1/2 sticks of butter until melted. Then add 1 qt of whole milk Heat all until almost boiling
  • 3. Add 1/2 of a large box of Velveeta cheese cut into cubes to the hot butter/milk mixture Stir until melted completely
  • 4. Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese & stir until melted completely Add 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese & stir until melted completely Add 8 oz of soft cream cheese (cut into cubes) & stir until melted completely
  • 5. After all the cheese mixture is smooth, mix in 1 cup of bacon bits (or more if you like) Taste and add salt & pepper to taste You MIGHT need to add more milk to get the consistency you want. Mix with cooked noodles Pour all into greased 9 x 13 pan
  • 6. Crush 2 sleeves of Ritz crackers into fine crumbs. (I use a zip lock bag to control the mess) Sprinkle crumbs over top of mac & cheese
  • 7. Melt another stick of butter and pour over cracker crumb topping
  • 8. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cracker crumbs are lightly browned and edges are bubbly.

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