When I got married, the women in my family threw me a kitchen-themed bridal shower. One of the requests was that each guest bring a recipe with them to put into a huge cookbook that I could bring with me to my new home. To this day, that cookbook is probably one of the most used things in my kitchen (not to mention all the great pots, pans, and utensils that I received)!
Many of the foods that were shared were casseroles … but this Mac N Cheese bake is by far a favorite in this household today. Not only do all of my guys gobble it up, but I really enjoy the ease and versatility this dish brings to my menu planning. It may not be a traditional macaroni and cheese, but the flavors are all there and it’s great for a busy family. Below, I’ve shared the basic casserole recipe which is delicious in and of itself and great as a potluck dish!
If you’re the adventurous type, feel free to play around with some add-ins. Here are a few of my family’s favorite combinations …
– For an Italian vibe add in some cooked ground beef, canned diced tomatoes, basil and oregano.
– If you’re craving a Mexican meal, put approximately 1/4 cup of white queso to replace one of your other cheeses. One of my favorites is Tostito’s medium heat queso blanco dip
(which can usually be found in the chip aisle).
– And for the mom who has to hide veggies in her little one’s meals, use broccoli cheese soup as your base and add a bag of frozen mixed veggies before cooking
(you can always blend the vegetables first so they can’t see them).
This is by no means an exhaustive list of what you can do with my mac n cheese casserole recipe. Really all you have to do for a slightly different flavor is change up the type of cheese or soup you use. I’d love to hear what some of your favorite flavor combinations are!
- 1 Box Macaroni Noodles
- 1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
- ½ Cup Milk
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheese Blend
- Pepper & Nature's Seasoning to Taste
- Start off by heating the oven to 400 degrees and cooking your noodles according to the package directions.
- While you're waiting, combine the cream of chicken soup and milk in an 11x13" casserole dish.
- Mix the cheese into your casserole dish and season as desired with pepper and Nature's Seasoning. (Note that this recipe doesn't usually require much salt, as the cheese can be pretty salty).
- When the noodles are done, drain and stir into the casserole dish until all the noodles are coated with your milk-cheese mixture.
- Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until you get an ooey-gooey casserole with a bit of a crust on the top.
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