Friday, March 7, 2008

playdate dinner



Every once in awhile I will have one of the kids friends over for dinner. It is alway a challenge figuring out what to make for dinner. For the most part, and compared to other children, my kids eat well. I never know what other children will or will not eat. Tonight for the play date dinner I made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Mac and Cheese. It is awsome. I make it every once and awhile for dinner here. Serve it with some spinach (have to get the greens in) and you are good to go. It is perfect on a cold and wet night like tonight. Comfort at its best.

Ultimate Mac and Cheese
Tyler's Ultimate

1 lb. elbow macaroni
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. flour
4 cups warm
5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to keep lumps from forming. Gradually whisk in the milk and, whisking vigorously, cook until mixture is thick and smooth.

Stir in 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley to the skillet, and stir to coat. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 11/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Serves 8

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I <3 Tyler Florence - dreamy and can cook, what more could a girl ask for?! Lovely blog - so glad to have found you!

Infinite Cosmos said...

i'll have to keep that recipe handy! that looks delectable!

Hey Harriet said...

Very nice blog. I like the crisp layout & your photos are awesome!

Thanks for sharing that recipe, it sounds like something even I may be able to make ;D

OMB said...

That sounds tasty!!!

FlorrieMarie said...

So... Did the kids eat it?

Rosebud Collection said...

This sounds great..

ThePeachTree said...

sounds ridiculously delicious :)

Heather Buchanan said...

Looks delicious!

When cooking for kids, I throw some veggies (red pepper, spinach, broccoli perhaps) right in with the macaroni for the last minute or two of boiling it. Then dump cheese and whatnot all over it. It saves on dishes and the veggies get hidden enough that most kids eat them.

Who am I kidding? I do that to trick myself into eating veggies, too.

Anonymous said...

Does Tyler come in a doggy bag?
He should.

Jeni said...

That looks SO good. Can I come over for a playdate? I'll even bring the kids to make it legit!