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Mary Anne here. This past weekend the Rittenhouse/Baker/Goodson clan regaled Mariel with a birthday celebration fit for a princess. It’s not every year you face the daunting 3-0, so it needed to be a memorable occasion that would continue to make her smile for years to come. Since she was dreading the onset of a new decade, I decided to throw her one last kiddie party, complete with streamers, balloons, Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey, a pinata filled with her favorite teeth-rotting candies, and party favors galore. Mariel is an avid horsewoman, so My Little Pony adorned the paper plates, cups, and plastic tablecloth while a Cinderella Pez dispenser topped one of her two cakes; (yes, we had both a Coconut Cake and Carrot Cake!) My darling girl acted accordingly – as any self-respecting three-year-old might – when she stomped her feet and stubbornly refused to wear the rhinestone-studded tiara her brother and I so carefully chose. Her brother summed it up best, “Hey, at least we didn’t pay the extra two dollars for the one with pink fur.” No crown of paste and glass was glitzy enough to mess with Mariel’s freshly coiffed ‘do. The party was a blast right ’til the very end and we all laughed ourselves silly, playing those wonderful games from our now-too-distant childhood. And while I prepared many of Mariel’s favorite dishes, including Crab Cakes, Mango Salsa, Prosciutto Spirals, and Chipotle Spiced Pulled Pork Sliders with homemade Slaw (just to name a few), I realized that no kid’s party is complete without Mac ‘n Cheese! Mariel’s two pint-size nephews partook in the festivities, so I created a dish that was mild enough for the little guys while serving up enough cheesy flavor to satisfy the adults. It was a smashing success given that the grown-ups went back for thirds and the kids didn’t throw theirs on the floor. And speaking of tiny tots, when Mariel and her brothers were just old enough to voice an opinion, they weren’t afraid to let me know when I came up short at dinnertime, which was more often than I’d care to admit given that I juggled catering and decorating jobs. Back then, I was known to prepare – (gasp) – prepackaged, fluorescent yellow Kraft Cheese & Macaroni. I assuaged my guilt by dressing it up with fresh peas and diced ham, which you can certainly do with this homemade rendition to make it a more complete meal. Any way you dish it up, this creamy comfort food is a favorite of both young and old. Happy Birthday-Week, with endless love, to the fairest princess of them all!
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Easy Whole Wheat Mac n’ Cheese Serves 8 as an Entrée or Serves 16 as a Side
Note: Use any combination of your favorite cheeses including mild to sharp cheddar, Jarlsberg, Smoked Gouda, Gruyere or Parmesan. Ingredients: 2½ cups milk, heated to a very low simmer (I used 1%) – stock 1 lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni – $1.69 5 Tablespoons sweet butter, divided: 3 +1 + 1 – stock 3 Tablespoons flour – stock 1 teaspoon dried mustard – stock 1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese – $2.29 1 cup grated cheddar cheese – $1.25 salt and pepper to taste – stock ¾ cup fresh, unseasoned breadcrumbs – stock Grand Total Assuming Well–Stocked Pantry: $5.23 Total Per 8 Entrée Servings: $0.65 Total Per 16 Side Servings: $0.33 Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 inch lasagna pan with 1 Tablespoon of the soft butter. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 3. Meanwhile, warm the milk to a “quiet simmer”, in a small saucepan over medium-low flame. Be careful not to scorch the milk. 4. Cook the pasta until just al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain in a colander and rinse immediately in cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. 5. Prepare the white sauce. Using a medium saucepan, melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter. Stir in the flour and cook over medium-low flame, whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the dried mustard. 6. Very gradually, add the warmed milk, whisking constantly until smooth. The sauce should thicken a bit. 7. Remove from the flame and add the cheeses, stirring well to combine thoroughly. 8. Pour the cheese sauce over the cooled pasta, season with salt and pepper, stirring well to combine. 9. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole/lasagna pan. 10. Using your fingers, mix the final pat of butter with the fresh breadcrumbs. 11. Sprinkle the buttered breadcrumbs evenly over the top of the Mac ‘n Cheese. 12. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden. Garnish with a bit more grated cheese of your choice, if desired.
How can you ever go wrong with a hot hearty bowl of mac and cheese? Yours looks just perfect to suit my cheesy desires. 🙂 A very Happy Birthday to Mariel! I can firmly say that the thirties have been a great decade so far. Enjoy them!
Aw, what a cute story! I hope someone does that for me when I turn 30! This recipe looks great, Mary Anne!
I love that party idea! I still throw myself “childlike” bday parties (I’m 33). Last year we had a silly photo booth, and this year I plan on having face-painting. Love the sophisticated menu you created to offset the girlish theme. Happy birthday to Mariel!
What an adorable idea – throwing a kid’s birthday party for someone turning the big 3-0. Very cute! And the mac and cheese is fabulous, too! Everyone from 3 to 93 loves mac and cheese!
What a sweet party! I love mac and cheese, even from the box, but yours sounds like perfection!
What a fantastic party! I bet she loved it 🙂
The mac & cheese looks great too. I like the use of whole wheat pasta and the tasty mix of cheeses…yum!
Love this one! Will be making this for sure
We have a vegan version of mac & cheese that we love too. It’s not only affordable, but provides lots of comfort too!
Gorgeous mac and cheese! I’ve been meaning to make some myself.
This looks fab! I’ve got WW pasta on my ToDo List and hope to get to it soon!
This looks so yummy!
Mariel, Happy Belated Birthday! And wow, what a feast! This has got to be the fanciest 3 y.o bday party ever with crab cakes and other yummies! Lol. That mac & cheese look amazing!
Beautiful! One of our weeknight favorites.
Thats look so nice & yummy. I love to make & eat that.
Its yummy & lovely.Nice to eat.
Cute story! This looks utterly addictive.
What a fun party!! And your mac and cheese recipe sounds great. Mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods. I just made a ‘fancy’ adult/Italian version, “Pasta Quattro Formaggi” (using an America’s Test Kitchen recipe), but I’m still tweaking it to get it where I want it.
I did a crab with 4 cheeses and mac last summer. It was divine, but a bit of a splurge. Let us know what you do with yours. LOVE anything mac ‘n cheese!
Oh my gosh, I love the kiddie party idea! I may have to steal it, too. This recipe is great for any day, but perfect for a kids fun birthday.
KUDOS to Mary Anne,[the QUEEN of Super-moms ] , for hosting a fantastic birthday party for her “Princess” Mariel !!!What a loving & memoral celebration! Thank you , dear “Queen of Super-moms” for sharing this wonderful event with your e-audience. YOU ARE THE BEST !!! LOVE< Mrs.A P.S. My gran-kids love your recipe for Mac& cheese.
Thanks, Mrs. A. You are toooo kind!! xoxo
Just finished off my second round of this dish.. it is great! Pretty easy to make and tasted wonderful. I used white cheddar and parmesan, it was really nice. Also, I used italian-seasoned breadcrumbs I had in the pantry, and it definitely didn’t taste over seasoned. I would definitely recommend trying this recipe out, it was really enjoyable! It is so versatile too! I think next time I will add asparagus or mushrooms!
Oh yum! Sauteed ‘shrooms would be perfect. So glad you enjoyed your dinner! Best, M&M