Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

Good afternoon to all of you! Hope you have had a fabulous day so far!  I am posting later today because I have been busy.  My husband and I decided we want a new television, so I went to Costco to check them out, and have been looking online at all the options, and comparing prices.  Most of you don't know that my husband and I live in an RV while he is working away from home.  We have a little 19" TV right now, and it is just about lived as long as it can.  We have to crank the volume almost to the max to hear it well.  We are limited with the space we have to work with, so we are thinking of replacing it with a 27" or 32" flat screen.  We would have to buy a  wall mount because it wont fit in the slot where our TV is now.  We are hoping the wall will be able to hold it, because these walls aren't very thick.  I am not really sure what they are even made out of, probably some really thin wood.  We are going to look into it more tonight, and hopefully be able to buy a new one soon!  Enough about that, let's get on to what I made last night.

Stovetop Mac and Cheese with Broccoli

Yum!



I grew up watching my Grandma make homemade mac and cheese, and I loved it!  I wish I could have her make it for me again. :(  I have never made it how she has, and I think I need to here soon.  I decided to make a healthier version last night, and it turned out amazing!  It was so creamy and filled with cheese, AND broccoli! Truth be told, once my husband tasted it, that was ALL he wanted for dinner! He said "YUM, I want some now" and I said "but what about the meat we were going to barbecue?" and he said "we can do that tomorrow night, I'll be good with just that."  :) I love how my husband is so easy to please with food.  He enjoys just about everything, so he makes it easy for me to cook. 

Ingredients:(This makes about 6 servings)

• 4 cups whole wheat pasta.  I couldn't find whole wheat macaroni, so I went with what they had, and you can too!
• 1 whole head of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 1/4 cups milk. I used fat free. 
• 3 tbls flour
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper



First, chop up the broccoli.

Boil pasta in salted water.  When pasta is about 5 minutes from being done, add in the broccoli.  Cook until pasta is done, and broccoli is tender.  Drain.

Use same pot to make sauce.  Add in 2 cups of milk, and bring to a slight boil.  The other 1/4 cup of milk is used with the flour as a thickening agent.  Stir the milk frequently.  Meanwhile in small bowl, or in my case I just used my 1 cup measuring cup, add the 1/4 cup of milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Mix it up.

Grate the cheese.  I love extra sharp cheddar! I had a couple little bites, and so did Zoei. :)

Whisk in the milk and flour thickening agent.  Stir until it thickens.  It will coat your spoon, and be nice and creamy.  I couldn't get a good picture to show that, sorry!  When is has thickened, you can turn the stove off, and add the cheese.  Stir until completely melted. 

Add the pasta and broccoli to the pot, and tada! Deliciousness! MmmMmm look out ooey gooey cheesy it is! 

Enjoy! Please make this! It is very easy, and totally yummy!

Question of the Day:

Is there a certain dish that your Grandma makes/made that you completely love/loved???

My Grandma Vickie who I talked about in this post briefly, made the best spaghetti, and macaroni and cheese!  I remember she would always serve her spaghetti with a slice of cheese cut in half.  Guaranteed.  Every time I make it now, I do that exact thing, and my husband and I love it.  Thanks Grandma! Love and miss you!

Hope you all have a great evening! Later alligators :)