I have a confession to make. When Hope was two years old, I introduced her to a new food, that quickly became her favorite...Macaroni and Cheese. But not just any macaroni and cheese, it was the kind that comes in a blue box. She loved it! And every time we went to the grocery store, she would spot the blue box and scream "Mac-Cheese". Whenever I wasn't sure of what to make her for lunch or dinner, she would say "Mac-Cheese!" She was crazy about the stuff.
Fast forward to almost a year later, when we moved to Mexico. Sure, Hope liked the food that my suegra prepared for her, but she still wanted her mac & cheese. This being a small town, far from the big city and large grocery stores, the stuff in the blue box was no where to be found. I did buy a few boxes of the different Mexican brands, but none of them came close to the yummy goodness of the stuff in the blue box.
Then began my desperate search for the perfect homemade version. Some were baked. Some had a bechamel sauce base. But still, I hadn't found a recipe that was pleasing to my little girl's taste buds.
Finally, one day, I really didn't feel like making yet another bechamel sauce, so I decided to use a few shortcuts. I cooked my macaroni according to package directions. Then in a separate bowl, I melted a little bit of butter, added some Mexican crema, a splash of milk, and oodles of good ol' American cheese. To finish it off, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and paprika before presenting it to my princess, Hope.
I waited with bated breath as she tasted this easy stovetop macaroni and cheese.
She turned to me with a very serious look, then flashed me the biggest smile and said, "Mommy, this is the BEST mac & cheese EVER!" And I've made it the same way ever since.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Macaroni & Cheese
Irresistible homemade Macaroni and Cheese made with American cheese, butter, and Mexican crema.
prep time: 10 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 30 mins
ingredients:
- 8 oz. elbow macaroni pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup Mexican crema
- 1/4 cup milk
- 8 oz. American cheese slices
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
instructions
- Cook macaroni pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse with with cold water.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Mexican crema, milk, and American cheese slices. Stir with a wire whisk until cheese has melted completely. Season with paprika, ground black pepper, and salt to taste.
- Add the cooked macaroni, stirring gently until completely pasta is completely coated with the cheese sauce. Simmer over low heat until heated through. Remove from heat. Buen provecho!
©La Cocina de Leslie
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