Olivia's Mac and Cheese...

When Olivia was a baby, she LOVED mac and cheese.

I use to make it, home-made of course, and freeze it in ice cube trays.

But as she grew, her love for mac and cheese changed

and she would only eat the KRAFT kind.  

Not so good.  

Until last year when we discovered Panera's mac and cheese.

Heaven.

Both my kids LOVED it. 

I knew I could come up with my own version.

This is a DIFFERENT mac and cheese.

Not the kind you bake.

Here's what you need:

2 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. flour

2 cups half and half (I've used fat free and it works great)

1 chicken bouillon cube

One good squirt of mustard (I use a horse radish flavor)

salt and pepper

1 cup WHITE cheddar cheese

1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

 Cooked pasta shells 

(Panera uses shell-shaped pasta, but you can use any shape)

Melt the 2 Tbs. butter in a heavy sauce pan.

Add the 2 Tbs. flour and combine with the melted butter.

Add the 2 cups of half and half and cook until slightly thickened...

Add the squirt of mustard, salt and pepper and the bouillon cube.

Continue cooking until the mixture thickens.

Add the 2 cups of cheese...

Remove from heat and continue to stir until the cheese has completely melted...

Cook your pasta shells...

Drain the pasta and return to the pot or serving bowl.

Add the cheese sauce...

Ready to eat...

Depending on how much pasta you cook, you may have extra cheese sauce.

but it freezes FABULOUSLY.  

If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out

by using extra half/half.  

ALSO, try using Fettuccine noodles.

Add grilled chicken breast along with the cheese sauce...

And you have Chicken Fettuccine.

DELICIOUS!