Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese That Kids and Adults will Love

by CasieBlogPosted on No Comments

Who doesn’t love Mac & Cheese?
I mean, I guess people who don’t like cheese… but I try not to think about those kinds of people. (I’ve met a few) I feel like cheese can bring people together, especially in this out of control world we live in right now. I mean, my daughter practically lives off cheese sticks. Who doesn’t want something cheesy, melty, salty, and oh-so-gooey — especially when paired with noodles!

This recipe is perfect for busy nights when you need something comforting but easy, or when your dinner plans suddenly change — like mine did tonight. I was all set to make enchiladas with leftover rotisserie chicken… but when I went to grab it, it had mysteriously disappeared. (Thanks, husband!)
Luckily, I had just gotten my grocery order, and Mac & Cheese was the next best (and maybe even better) option.

I feel like everyone has their own way of making Mac & Cheese, and I’ve tried it all — different cheeses, different noodles, adding chicken, bacon, vegetables… you name it.
Tonight’s version turned out so good I had to share it. I started with an online recipe but ended up adjusting quite a bit. And honestly? It’s my favorite one yet.

Ingredients for Mac and Cheese

  • 1 box of pasta (elbows, shells, or whatever you love)
  • 1 stick of butter, divided in half
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 blocks of cheese, shredded.  (This time I used cheddar, and Gouda…. But use what you have or enjoy)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh grated of nutmeg (optional, but highly recommended)

Ingredients for Crumb Topping

  • 1 cup crushed crackers (like Ritz, I used one stay fresh pack)
  • 1½ cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2Tbsp Paprika
  • Remaining 1/2 stick of Butter

Instructions for Cheesy Goodness

(Side note: I always ask myself if I should label this “Instructions” or “Directions” — I guess either works, but “Directions” makes me think of driving somewhere and I promise you don’t need a GPS to find the ingredients you need for this.)

1. Boil the Pasta
Boil your noodles in salted water until al dente.
Remove from heat, strain, and set aside.

2. Make the Cheese Sauce
Melt half a stick of butter in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot.
Once melted, whisk in the flour.
Cook over medium-low heat for 4–7 minutes. (I like mine a little darker for a nuttier flavor.)



Lower the heat and let the béchamel cook while you grate your cheeses.

(Fun fact: A béchamel is one of the “Mother sauces” of the culinary world! — you’re basically a pro now!)

3. Add the Cheese
Bring the heat back up slightly (medium-low).
Add your shredded cheese a few handfuls at a time, stirring gently after each addition.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.
(If you have white pepper, now’s the perfect time to use it — no black specks!)

4. Secret Flavor Hack
Grate a little fresh nutmeg into the cheese sauce.
It adds a cozy little umph! (I learned this from Good Eats with Alton Brown — he even keeps nutmeg in his pocket!)

5. Assemble
Taste-test the cheese sauce — quality control, obviously!
Pour the sauce over your noodles in a baking dish, or stir the noodles directly into the Dutch oven if you’re using one.

6. Make the Crumb Topping
Melt the remaining half stick of butter in the microwave.
Crush your crackers (this is a super fun step for kids!).
Mix the crushed crackers and panko into the melted butter.
Add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning and paprika.
Stir to combine.

7. Bake
Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top of the Mac & Cheese.
Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sides are bubbly.

Final Thoughts on this Mac

And there you have it — cheesy, cozy perfection.
Honestly, this might be my favorite way to make Mac & Cheese yet. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, a cozy Sunday meal, or anytime you just need a little cheesy happiness.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out! (Bonus points if you add bacon… just saying.)

Easiest Chicken Caesar Wraps for Busy Families-15 Minutes (or less)!

by CasieBlog, Food and ReciplesPosted on No Comments

Who doesn’t love a good wrap? Look, if Ina were here, she’d tell me to go get my heirloom lettuce from my garden. But since the yard is covered in snow, store-bought is fine. (If you don’t get the reference…you’re too young. J.K., I still love you, but Google it.)

I Meme of the Chef Ina Garten that says "If you don't have time to travel to Madagascar and pick your own vanilla beans, Store bought is fine"

This recipe is so simple and takes like 5 minutes to throw together. (Cooking the chicken is literally the longest part.) I’ll give you the short version and the long version (aka, the lazy way and the slightly less lazy way).

The Laziest *Delish* Chicken Caesar Wrap

Ingredients:

  • 1 pre-bagged Caesar Salad Kit (I use Fresh Express)
  • Caesar Croutons (I eat these suckers right outta the bag)
  • Kens Light Creamy Caesar Dressing (you can use what’s in the kit if you like)
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Sundried Tomato OR Spinich Wraps
  • Pre-cooked Chicken Tenders or Honey Chicken Breast Tenders

Instructions:

  1. Cook your chicken per package instructions (I use my air fryer).
  2. While your chicken cooks, slice your cherry tomatoes into quarters and your cucumbers into 1/4-inch rounds. (You can peel them if you like.)
  3. Put your salad kit greens into a bowl, but leave out the dressing.
  4. Grab a wrap and add a bed of lettuce to the middle.
  5. Add a sprinkle of your quartered tomatoes and cucumbers.
  6. Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Add the chicken to your wrap, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Throw some croutons on that baby.
  9. Drizzle on your dressing (I don’t measure this) and wrap that sucker up!

Ta-da! That’s it! Literally so easy, but it tastes like you put the effort in.

Before the “Wrap Part”

Classic Chicken Caesar Wrap

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of Boston Lettuce OR Romaine Hearts
  • Caesar Croutons (I eat these suckers right outta the bag) but if you have a loaf of stale bread you can make your own
  • Kens Light Creamy Caesar Dressing
  • Kens Light Caesar Dressing (The NON Creamy)
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Cucumber
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Sundried Tomato OR Spinich Wraps
  • 1/2lb-1lb Raw Chicken Tenders (or Breasts cut into strips)

Instructions:

  1. Take your chicken tenders (or strips) and marinate them in the non-creamy Ken’s Caesar Dressing in the fridge for at least an hour (enough dressing to cover the chicken).
  2. Once your chicken has finished marinating, cook it on the stovetop in a pan, or if the weather is nice, grill it! Cook until no longer pink in the middle (165°F in the center).
  3. While your chicken cooks, slice your cherry tomatoes into quarters and your cucumbers into 1/4-inch rounds. (You can peel them if you like.) Wash and cut up your lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
  4. Grab a wrap and add a bed of lettuce to the middle.
  5. Add a sprinkle of your quartered tomatoes and cucumbers.
  6. Once the chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
  7. Add the chicken to your wrap, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  8. Throw some croutons on that baby.
  9. Drizzle on your creamy dressing (I don’t measure this) and wrap that sucker up!

Honestly, this way takes a little longer, but the marinated chicken is SO good. Plus, it’s healthier because it’s not a processed breaded tendie. (Nothing against tendies.) I’m sure you’ll like this recipe either way you make it!

How my Meal Planning saves on Groceries!

by CasieBlog, Food and Reciples, Mom ThingsPosted on No Comments

Meal planning, while kinda tedious, saves us SO much money! We were spending $200+ a week on groceries. And it just wasn’t sustainable. We all know the price of groceries is crazy. And if it’s not the price going up, it’s the size of the product going down.

So my husband gave me a challenge. Could I get a weeks worth of groceries for $70-$80? Now let’s be honest, this isn’t happening EVERY week. But I feel like I’m usually between $85-$150 I’m really proud of that number. I also got a Costco card for Christmas so this is where I go to get a lot of our day to day snacks, like granola bars and Edamame and even Frozen Pizza. (I haven’t calculated the cost of Costco into the budget yet as we’ve only on once so far, but I’ll update once we get into a routine.)

I also only have myself, my husband, and our 15 month old to feed. She’s still breastfeeding so she only actually consumes so much regular food throughout the day. But I’m super lucky that she will try literally ANYTHING!

Alright, so how do I make my Meal Plan? How do I know what to cook, when to cook, how much to cook? This all changes by the week. But it’s also part of how I’m able to save on groceries. So keep reading to see my process. (It’s not that hard, I promise)

  • Step 1: Make a list of all food in the house.

And by all, I mean the things I’d generally use/need for most cooking. I note down if we have Milk, Eggs, Cheese (an important staple in my house) Do we have any meat in the fridge or freezer? What vegetables and fruits do I have? Do we have pasta, sauce, rice?

Please note, I’m old school. I’m an elder millennial, I still make lists on paper. Important things get done on my computer instead of my phone. I make a grid, one section for Fridge, one for Freezer and one for Pantry. Then I do the same at the bottom of the page for what we DON’T have. This way, when I move to the next step I don’t forget what we need.

So now I’ve got my lists. Now’s the time I get my laptop.

  • Step 2: Check the weekly Grocery flyer for what’s on sale.

This is the tedious part. I buy my groceries at 2 different stores. While it makes life a little harder, it saves me at least $10 a trip! I buy all my center store groceries (boxed goods, pasta sauce, shelf stable goods) at Walmart. Now like, real take here, I didn’t shop there for YEARS. I didn’t love some of their corporate policies. But with only being on one income, I need to save every dollar I can, and shopping there is how I make it possible. I will also on occasion buy my meat in a “family pack”. Then I freeze it into separate dinner portions and take it out as needed. This helps me keep my grocery price down the rest of the month.

I get all my produce, meats, and dairy products at Hannaford. It’s a grocery chain in the North East. (They are owned by the same people as Food Lion, if that helps for a comparison.) So I look at the Hannaford flyer and have tabs open on my computer for both Walmart and Hannaford. As I find what’s on sale, this is when I decide on a recipe, if I havent cooked with it often, I’ll look up a recipe. Luckily for my husband, I’m a pretty good cook. I did a semester of Culinary classes in college. (I suggest people take a cooking class if they are able, just getting the basics makes a Huge difference.)

This week ground Turkey was a good price so I figured Turkey Burgers would be good! (I made Tacos with ground turkey last week so I didn’t want to repeat this). Kielbasa was on sale, but its not something I cook with often. So, I did what we all do, I googled a recipe! I found a sheet pan Sausage, Broccoli and Potato recipe and figured that sounded great! Easy peasy. I also already had frozen shrimp, so Shrimp Scampi is an easy fix, and all I need is a small bottle of wine!

Something helpful if you’re not a super confident cook is to start with a few staples. (And I don’t mean a bowl of cereal) Learn how to make Spaghetti with meat sauce. You don’t even have to make the sauce! (I buy jarred and Zhuzh it up!) Tacos are an easy meal that everyone likes! You can use hamburg or turkey or chicken! I always add extra spices then just the taco mix. You could make your own seasoning mix if you wanted as well! As you get more confident, you can change up your dishes a little at a time, or branch out and make something similar. Make your own garlic bread for your pasta night! Make a burrito instead of tacos!

Once you feel a little more confident, you’ll be able to branch out into new dish’s and new ingredients! This will help you as you get your groceries as you’ll have more ideas for what you can cook out of what’s on sale. Even if you look up a recipe, you can always use it as a guide, and make it your own! I do this often!

I hope this was helpful! I’ll update again as we figure out Costco and how that affects the budget. I’ll also post recipes as well! Feel free to comment and let me know if this helps, or if you have anything that works really well for you!