Homemade Mac n' Cheese + Spinach Salad

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe! The holidays are a time of tradition for me and my family, so not a whole lot of new recipes get tried out around this time of the year. But here is a new one for ya!

So what made me try this recipe? Curtis requested a "thick and creamy" mac n' cheese for his birthday dinner. My first thought was noo way... I though mac n' cheese, of the homemade variety, involved a lot of work and like 17 different types of cheeses with names I can't pronounce and a gigantic hole in my pocket where money used to be. But, nope...I think I made this recipe for less than $10 and we're STILL working on the leftovers. And best of all, it was really, really easy. 

I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com and doctored it up a bit. What I found funny though...was in the reviews, people were knocking it for being high in fat and calories. Hello? Isn't that what cheese and butter are? If you're LOOKING for a mac n' cheese recipe, you can't look for one that is low in calories and fat. That's just stupid talking. So just take the deliciousness for what it is and pair the cheesiness with this salad on the side, and you'll be golden. A well-rounded meal. (At least that's how I like to justify it.)

Homemade Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. elbow macaroni 
• 1/2 c. butter
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 6 c. milk
• 4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese (Note: the Parmesan cheese made for a sort of gritty texture, so next time, I might consider trying a smoother cheese like mozzarella, but I liked the strong taste of the Parmesan, so maybe Swiss?)
• 1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes 
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs
• Sprinkling of paprika 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare macaroni al dente per the instructions on the box. Drain and then place noodles in a 9x13 pan.
3. In large pot on medium heat, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.
4. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Then add cheese and stir constantly until all the cheese has melted. This will take a while, but be patient. It will look pretty runny in the end, but that is fine.
5. Pour cheese over noodles, add red pepper flakes, and careful stir.
6. Melt 2 tbsp. butter in pan, add bread crumbs and brown. Then sprinkle over macaroni.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1 bag spinach
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 c. dried cranberries
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. poppy seeds
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter and toast almonds on medium heat. This will only take a couple of minutes, so make sure you don't let the almonds burn. Then set aside.
2. Tear spinach into more manageable pieces, place in large bowl.
3. Sprinkle with onions, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds.
4. Mix together vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, sugar, and poppy seeds. Pour, as needed, over salad. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.