Revolutionary Mac N' Cheese

I have unfortunately allowed myself to watch a handful of those terrifying food documentaries.  Everybody has seen a few right?  Each one has left me in a state of paranoid anxiety, fearing that everything I'm feeding my family is unsafe and practically poisonous.  I seriously don't sleep well for days. 

The positive effect is that they reaffirm my desire to serve my family as much of a healthy, balanced and unprocessed diet as I can.    

And that is why my girls have been deprived of the infamous neon orange Mac N' Cheese in a box.

I also admit that it's been from selfishness on my part.  I really hate the stuff.  I abhor artificial cheese, but I've also never really loved the homemade casserole-style Mac N' Cheese either, which is often too grainy and dry.

I know, picky picky.

So after believing that I'd sworn off Mac N' Cheese forever, I stumbled upon this recipe whilst on Pinterest, and for some reason felt possessed to give it a try.  And I'm so glad I did!

Why revolutionary Mac N' Cheese?  Because the pasta is cooked in milk instead of water, and this gives it a  wonderfully creamy base.  The cheese melts smoothly into the sauce and the hint of mustard and cayenne gives it the perfect extra dimension of flavor.

It was also quite simple to make, my girls were big fans.  And now they may have one less childhood experience to claim that they were robbed of.  Major Mom points.

Revolutionary Mac N' Cheese Recipe by Bliss From Scratch, inspired by Macaroni and Cheesecake | Printable Version 2 cups dried pasta (small shells highly preferred, see notes below) 2 1/2 cups milk 1 cup loosely packed cheddar cheese, hand shredded  1 teaspoon salt 1/4  teaspoon dijon mustard 1/4  teaspoon cayenne pepper In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring the milk does not boil. Turn off heat, add cheese and salt, stir to combine.  Add the mustard and cayenne and stir.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy! Extra Tips: If you would like to bake it at this point, place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted. I have found that the shells work better than the elbow macaroni as they do a better job of absorbing the milk correctly.  Hand shredding the cheese instead of using pre-shredded bagged cheese works better in this recipe as it melts easier.  Store-bought shredded cheese is coated in cornstarch and will make the dish more grainy.  If you prefer a thinner sauce, just add a bit more milk (tablespoon at a time) and stir into the finished dish until you reach your desired consistency.