Best Homemade Mac n Cheese | Kid-Approved

Make the tastiest side dish for the whole family with The best Homemade Mac N Cheese – Kid-Approved! This post is sponsored by St. Jude as a St. Jude Blogger Ambassador. All delicious opinions are my own.

Best Homemade Mac n Cheese – Kid-Approved!

Now that’s it’s officially November, I feel like I can finally talk about Thanksgiving. I am hosting my first EVER Thanksgiving at my house this year. Begin panic! As I worry about everything from place settings for almost 20 people to coordinating schedules – at the forefront of my mind is FOOD.

I have no idea what I’m making. But with lots of kids joining our feast, I know one thing is for sure. It better taste darn good. So I needed a homemade, crowd-pleasing, kid-approved side dish that will have all of the comforts of the holiday. Desperate for tried and true recipes, I found the Best Homemade Mac n Cheese! Ready to make yours in time for Thanksgiving feasting?

Ironically when I was in Memphis for the St. Jude Blogger Tour, I actually talked with the team quite a bite about recipes. St. Jude understands how important nutrition is to health and wellness. It’s no surprise that St. Jude takes recipes seriously, VERY seriously. Since the St. Jude culinary team is ah-mazing with creating tasty dishes for their patients, they sent along their famous Kay Kafe’s Mac n’ Cheese recipe for us to try. WOW. This homemade mac n cheese is everything. The secret is in the cheese!

Best Homemade Mac n Cheese – Kid-Approved!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1-3/4 cups whole milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese, (this is optional, it’s what I do at my house, use cheddar if you want)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni or penne

Directions

1. Put a large pot of lightly salted water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl.
3. Heat 1-1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Add the fontina cheese. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and more cheese.
5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

Breadcrumb topping. LOADED with cheese. A touch of nutmeg for fall. Needless to say, this side dish became an instant classic in our house. I already have it bookmarked for Thanksgiving. Thanks, St. Jude!

Support St. Jude This Holiday Season

With the holidays right around the corner, now is the perfect time to add a little bit of the comforts of home to your kitchen with St. Jude. There are so many ways to support this amazing organization, working hard everyday to cure childhood cancer and provide 100% FREE treatment to their patients. How can you help? Consider purchasing a gift from the St. Jude Holiday Gift Catalog. Support one of the many retailers partnering with St. Jude this holiday season (with a portion of the proceeds going directly to caring for patients and their families at St. Jude!). Donate to St. Jude directly. And consider sharing this amazing recipe this holiday season.

Comfort food with a touch of home. I love what St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is providing my family this Thanksgiving with the Best Homemade Mac n Cheese Recipe.

What dishes are you making this holiday season? Have any good recommendations for my first hosted Thanksgiving?

Be sure to follow Raising Whasians for more delicious family recipes, kids crafts and travel!

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