Easy Mac doesn't always make the cut

Now I don’t mean to criticize easy mac on any level but sometimes I crave real mac and cheese rather than powder cheese and water.

First things first, you’ll need any type of macaroni, any box from the supermarket on sale for a dollar.  (4oz)

Things you’ll need from Dhall

1 Tablespoons of Butter (One big spoonful is plenty)

1 Cup of milk (Whole or 2%) Whole will make it creamier

1 Cup of cheddar cheese (Get this from the salad bar, but feel free to grab some slices of cheese from the sandwich area, like Swiss or American to add)

1/8 Cup of all-purpose flour

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook elbow macaroni until al dente. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat melt butter or margarine. Whisk flour and stir vigorously. Add milk and cook until thick and bubbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add cheeses and stir until completely melted.
3. In a large bowl mix together the drained pasta and cheese sauce mixture. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Pour into a greased 1 quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

This is supposed to make two servings but for hungry college students I’d say it’s one. Enjoy! E-mail me if you have any questions! Kberman@fandm.edu.

Most creamy spinach dips call for frozen spinach but if you go to the dining hall you can fill up on fresh spinach from the salad bar; go ahead and grab as much as you want. Grab two balls of cream cheese, a spoon of chickpeas or artichoke, two handfuls of cheddar cheese (please don’t actually put your hand in the salad bar), and three pitas from Kivo.

You’ll want to chop your spinach onions and chickpeas very finely so that they can cook quickly so you’re not spending all your valuable studying time in the kitchen. Lightly sauté the spinach, onions, chickpeas or artichokes until spinach is dark green. Add your vegetables to a bowl with most of the cheese and 1 or 2 balls of cream cheese depending on how creamy you want it. Mix these around in a separate bowl and pour into an oven safe dish. Cover with some extra cheddar cheese and heat in an oven for 12 minutes at 400 degrees.  Don’t forget to toast your pita bread for the last few minutes your dip is cooking.  Then chop your pita up and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this! I know I did. If you have any questions while your cooking feel free to E-mail me at kberman@fandm.edu  and took out for another recipe in the next article!