Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese

The first time I made this for Mr. L was several years before I was Mrs. L.  He loved it. Needing come comfort food during the holidays, I pulled out LaBelle Cuisine and decided to make this Mac and Cheese dish again.

Please note. It has Velveeta in it. DON'T FREAK. This is really tasty! Mr. L kept commenting to everyone on the great "gourmet" Mac and Cheese I had made...until he found out it had Velveeta in it and then, well, he freaked. There isn't that much Velveeta in this, it's just one of four other cheeses. Everyone that's tried this has really liked it.

Patti tells a cute story about a piano player named Reggie Dwight (which isn't the name he goes by now) and Tupperware in her prelude to the recipe.

OVER-THE-RAINBOW MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup (8 ounces) Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, , then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Patti's Pointers: She mentions that if you don't want to use all the cheeses (and really, it's what makes this dish) you can just use Velveeta and sharp Cheddar. She also says if you REALLY want to make this Over the Moon, add an extra stick of butter (which I have yet to try but figure next time I will). If you use the two sticks of butter, substitute milk for the half-and-half.

I pretty much made this straight up per the recipe. I used Dreamfields macaroni which made me feel just a tiny bit less guilty about the calories.

Comments

[Mom]

This was so good. Thank you for giving me some. I really enjoyed it. I still like my boxed mac and cheese but maybe because it is so easy to make and taste so good with tuna.

[peabody]

Well it's no Stouffers mac and cheese with cripsy crust...but it looks good. :)

[NotSoccer Mom]

i can feel my arteries hardening in my chest...

[NotSoccer Mom]

i can feel my arteries hardening in my chest...

[barbie2be]

that looks delicious. i LOVE home made mac and cheese.

[eve]

I think the piano guy was Elton John. Patti said he kept her Tupperware but he gave her diamonds. As she told this to Andy Cohen on Watch what happens live. lol

[Rhonda]

This was REALLY yummy! It actually did have crispy corners and the flavor was perfect. Thumbs up!!

[Rhianna]

I’ve made this recipe several times now. I follow the recipe directly. I get requests for this dish. Definitely worth the effort!