Easy Recipe for Fast Mac n' Cheese from Scratch

If you are the parent of a toddler and you prefer to avoid processed foods, then today's blog is for you! This recipe takes as much time as preparing a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese, but you'll actually know what's in this meal.

We prefer to use organic ingredients as much as possible in our house, and we avoid processed foods, trans-fats and high sugar foods, as well. I do all the cooking, and for our one-year-old's meals I tend to make it up as I go along. Some are hits and some are misses. This one was a big hit, so I'm sharing it today with my reading audience - all three of you.

This recipe began as an attempt to add more nutrients to some plain ol' boiled pasta. So instead of boiling some little salad macaroni in water, I boiled it in chicken broth and milk. (I'm trying to fit in the calcium anywhere I can for our milk-adverse boy.) It was quite tasty this way, so even if you stopped here, it's an improvement over plain pasta.

But I didn't want to waste the liquid, so I strained the pasta over a bowl, and then poured the liquid back into the empty pot. I brought it back to a boil and added maybe a tablespoon of flour and whisked it until it was smooth and began to thicken. (Maybe 2 minutes) Then I grated in some organic extra-sharp white cheddar cheese and stirred until it was melted. I mixed it with the pasta and ... Voila'! It was fantastic! Lucas LOVED it, and ate a huge helping, plus enjoyed it for lunch and dinner the next day.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you! Bon appétit!