Becki's Mac and Cheese...please Sir, may I have some more!

| I love Mac and Cheese, but for me, it has to be creamy and full of flavor. If it's baked and comes out thick and rubbery it's a no go for me! Lemme tell ya! This recipe does not disappoint and the crispy crunchy Panko topping sets it apart from anything I have ever made before.

My review of this recipe follows below, but if you want to give this recipe a try and don't have your own copy of the Magnolia Table Cookbook, Joanna Gaines shared it here. If you need your own copy of the book you can get one here!

My love of macaroni and cheese goes back to childhood, as I am sure it probably does for you. For some unknown reason a full bowl of Kraft shells and cheese mixed with a can of tuna fish is still one of the most comforting things for me. That's not something I have very often anymore, in fact I don't think mom has made it in years, but on the random occasion that she does, once every 5 years or so, it takes me right back to the days of far less worry and staying out til the street lights came on.

This recipe that Joanna shares in the Magnolia Table Cookbook brings back many of those feelings in a deliciously updated, more adult friendly version. I mean that in the way that, this is something I would share with my Chef friends and not tell them that it wasn't my own recipe. ? I think I could even stir up some more memories and throw in some shredded chicken or top it with a piece of seared Ahi to take it up another notch! I think I might be in love with this Mac and Cheese just a little bit...can I just eat it every day? At the very least, please Sir, may I have some more? Seconds were definitely in order the night I made this, and I might have licked clean every utensil it took to make and serve it.

I will tell you, I may not be eating on the most healthy of trains while I cook my way through this book but I have cleaned up my pantry over the last few years and I refuse to bring Velveeta into the house. So I was talking with a friend of mine who is also an amazing Chef and she told me that I can use cream cheese in place of Velveeta anytime I see it in a recipe. So that's what I did here, you will notice that mine came out quite a bit lighter and whiter than the picture shown in the cookbook, and that would be why. I just can't bring myself to do it. ?

This recipe came out of the oven just perfectly creamy yet held together enough that it didn't fall all over the counter trying to get it to the bowl. I love the tang that the Gruyère gave it and the creaminess that the white cheddar brought. I was very happy to find in my local Kroger, shredded organic white cheddar, in the refrigerated section under the simple truth brand. That made it far less expensive and I didn't have to dirty any more utensils or machines in my kitchen! It's the little things 🙂 I have to say that my favorite part of this was the crispy topping, it is an optional addition, but in my opinion there is no option, you have to make it. It changes the whole identity of the dish and gives it so much more interest, it's not just a gooey blob of pasta and cheese but makes it linger in your mouth and lets you take in all the different flavors. I sliced my garlic very thin so the added burst of flavor you got when what turned into a garlic chip hit your tongue was ahhhhmazing!

I hope you try this recipe soon, and I hope you and whoever you share it with loves it!

Until next time, happy cooking!

Kendell

If you watched Joanna makes this recipe on Season 4, Episode 4 of her new cooking show 'Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines' you can get the recipe by CLICKING HERE, she shared it on her blog so you can make it at home!

read my other reviews of season 4 episode 4 here...

Homemade Green Bean Casserole (coming soon)

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole (coming soon)

Pecan Bars (coming soon)

Mulled Cider (coming soon)

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!