Day 15: Macaroni and Cheese

This is the recipe we tried in Texas with Angie. She found it on Pintrest and thought it looked like something the kids would like. Once we followed the link, we realized that it was actually a Paula Deen recipe which meant that some major substitutions were going to have to be done if we wanted my dad to eat it. He is crazy about eating healthy so Miss Paula Deen isn't exactly his favorite chef. Therefore, we went low fat on the sour cream, milk, and panko breadcrumbs.

We had a ton leftover and heated it up for the next day. There will be two ratings in order to represent how we felt about the mac and cheese each time we ate it.

Here is the link to the recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/the-ladys-cheesy-mac-recipe/index.html

Kitchen Play by Play: When we measured out the 4 cups of cooked macaroni we decided that it didn't look like enough, so we added another 1 1/2 cups. Because of the addition of macaroni we chose to add double the sour cream, a few more tablespoons of milk, and another cup of cheese. The kids helped with all the mixing and really enjoyed watching the cheese melt into the noodles. We chose to add panko because we like a little crunch. The kids had a blast sprinkling the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole. We did not top it with additional cheese though. It did bake for exactly 40 minutes.

The second day we spread the leftovers onto a cookie sheet and baked it at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. We grew up on second day crispy Kraft Mac and Cheese out of the oven, so we figured this would be pretty tasty.

This is a day one picture:

The Verdict:
Nicole: Day 1: It was pretty dry except for the bites that had sour cream shooting out of the noodles. It could have used more flavor too. I'd give it a 3. Day 2: It was dry but in a crispy and delicious kinda way. It reminded me of those fried mac and cheese bites that all the chain restaurants serve now. I give it a 5.

Austin: Ate it, but didn't devour it. He did not like the crunch. He gives it a 3. On day 2, I gave him some before we put it in the oven and heated his and Peyton's in the micro. Again, he ate it but wasn't overly excited about it.

Peyton: She ate it on day one, but not on day 2. She was too busy consuming every berry in the house to realize that there were other things available for her to eat.

Angie: Day 1: "It was good.Needs a little bit more flavor. We used mild cheddar for the kids, maybe a stronger cheese next time." She gives it a 3.5-4. Day 2: "Great and toasted." She gives it a 5.

Dad: Day 1: He gives it a 3. "The flavor wasn't there, and it needed to be crunchier." Day 2: "Excellent. Fabulous." He gives it a 5.