One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese 4/5 Spoons

Hey hey! So I really fell off the wagon here, didn't I? Well, I'm a baker at home and you should check out my business folded apron bakery and like it on Facebook as well. BUT, I still cook meals for myself like a human does and wanted to start writing again. Maybe not as much as I used to but I'm going to try.

My business logo, ain't she cute? (Thanks to Tesh Silver for making this for me!)



ANYWAY, I found this Mac & Cheese recipe and was like, "Yes, I must have this in my face". I did change it quite a bit and I'll put the recipe closest to what I did here and leave the link up there for ya to check out.

One-Pot Macaroni & Cheese
(adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches adaptation)

1 c. full-fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 c. skim milk + 1/2 c. heavy cream (it's what I had, but she uses 2 c. whole milk)
1 t. dry mustard
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 - 1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 c. (an 8-ounce block) of extra sharp cheddar cheese
1-16 ounce box of pasta (i used rotini, small pasta would probably work best with this)
1 T. butter (cut into small pieces)
1-2 T. parmesan to sprinkle on top
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 handful of baby spinach
1/2 c. bread crumbs
Sprinkling of paprika for the top

Preheat the oven to 375F. Make sure to spray/butter your pan. Cheese is a real bitch demon to get off of a pan!

Blend together the cottage cheese, milk, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture with the uncooked pasta and grated cheese, peas and spinach (reserve 1/4 cup cheddar cheese for the topping). Pour everything into your baking dish and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 40 minutes, give the mixture a stir, dot with butter, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, bread crumbs and paprika. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the cheese on top is golden and crusty. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serves 4-6 hungry mouths.



(Photo courtesy of Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

*Overall this was pretty good. It could stand to have more salt in it and more cheese but I was trying to not use more than was minimally recommended. But if I'm going to have full-fat mac and cheese, I'm just gonna go all for it. I loved the additions of the veggies because of the snap of the peas and earthiness of the spinach. So perfect. And I plan on taking pictures of my own food next time, I hate stealing others photos even if I credit them!

Well, this is a beginning of a new era. An era where I actually blog again. PS - if you use Google Reader to follow me, it will be shutting down on July 1st of this year. I started adding my stuff to feedly and it actually seems pretty sweet. So please add me there and get used to a new layout, haha. We all will have to!