Baked Macaroni & Cheese and Cucumber Salad

So, I haven't posted in a few days, but it wasn't bc I wasn't cooking!  It was bc I figured all of you know how to make spaghetti :)  

Now, if you're watching your carbs or have an aversion to dairy, then just skip this first recipe and go straight to the next one - this macaroni and cheese is sinful!!  While I was cooking this, my son said from the other room, "Something smells yummy in there"!

I had originally tried to make the macaroni & cheese from the red & white Betty Crocker cookbook, but certain palates in our house did not like the addition of onion to the macaroni, so they requested just cheese sauce & noodles - so here is the result!  I added the garlic powder and pepper just for a little added flavor.  I started with the white sauce recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook and then doubled it, but I think you could even triple it if you wanted to, since it's baked.  But either way, it's delicious!

Here's what you'll need:

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 cups shredded mild cheddar (yes, that's two bags of cheese - if you'd like it lighter, feel free to use less cheese :)
• 12 oz. bag Large Elbow Macaroni, cooked according to package directions
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 and a half cups milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• sea salt (can be omitted, I used just a little)
• black pepper (to taste)
• about 1/2 tsp garlic powder (more if you like garlic, less if you don't)

Melt butter over low heat and add flour to make a roux.  This always intimidates me, but it's much easier than it sounds & I've never burned it so I figure it's not as hard as it initially seems :)

Once the roux is ready, add the milk all at once.  Turn up the heat and continue to stir until thickened and bubbly (about 5 minutes).

Once thickened, add sharp cheddar cheese (you can use whatever cheese you like, I just think the sharp cheese gives the macaroni better flavor) and stir until melted.  Remove from heat. (And I covered it until I was ready to pour it over the macaroni)

After draining the macaroni, mix with sauce

And pour in a greased baking dish (I spray mine with olive oil)

Then add more cheese!!  Haha!!

I use mild cheddar on top -  mmmmmmmm - we are a cheese loving family so this is what works for us

Bake in oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sides are bubbly

Sinful, sinful, sinful...

And on to the lighter part of the meal!

I became a huge fan of this salad when we went to Israel several years ago.  It's so easy, but SO good!  The perfect summer salad.  My child loves it so much that he had THREE servings of it tonight at dinner! Crazy!  And it's so easy to make.  So easy that these measurements are just kind of estimates & you just can't mess it up -   

You'll need:

• 1 cucumber
• 2 tomatoes
• about a tablespoon or so olive oil
• sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Peel and dice the cucumber

dice the tomatoes (sometimes I seed them, sometimes I don't - today I did half and half bc I was being indecisive ha)

Add olive oil (toss to coat), a few cranks of sea salt and garlic powder.  I'm starting to think that I have an unnatural affection for garlic powder, since I add it to everything.  It just makes it better!  Anyway, chill until ready to serve.  Perfect summer salad!

Isn't this plate colorful?  Yes, we had blueberries with our dinner tonight bc that's how we roll at our house.   

Let me know if you like the salad!