I'm BACK! And I've got MAC :)

Ok, so after a little over 2 months of being MIA and having a few people constantly reminding me to post, I'm back. But don't expect it to be very regular, I just don't work like that :) Anyway, I don't want to waste anymore time as I know the real purpose of this blog is to talk food and post recipes. So without further ado, here is my ABSOLUTE favorite mac and cheese recipe - adapted from Martha Stewart and Paula Deen.

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8-oz. box isn't quite 2 cups) - I actually use a little over 2 cups of cellantani b/c I like the bigger noodle, but either work
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces - I use margarine here, but that's b/c I never buy actual butter
2.5 cups (about 10 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese - I've also mixed in some mozzarella b/c I only had 2c. cheddar and it was just as delicious so feel free to mix it up with your favorite cheeses!
3 eggs beaten
1.5 cup sour cream - I started off using the full fat version b/c it was a Paula Deen recipe, but I've switched to fat-free with no difference in taste
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cheddar cheese soup - are there low-fat versions of this in existence???
1/2 teaspoon salt - I think I usually add a bit more (I don't always measure)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard - I think I usually add a bit more (I don't always measure)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper - I think I usually add a bit more (I don't always measure)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - I think I usually add a bit more (I don't always measure)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg - I think I usually add a bit more (I don't always measure)
1 cup whole milk - I haven't tried an alternative here (skim maybe?), but if you do and it works, let me know - I would LOVE to be able to make this recipe as healthy as possible as I am ADDICTED to it!

Cooking Directions:
•Preheat oven to 350 degrees
•Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart sauce pan in plenty of water until tender - Drain
•In a large pot, mix butter and cheese - Stir until the cheese melts (don't let it sit too long w/o stirring b/c it will brown/burn and stick to the bottom of the pan)
•Add the eggs, sour cream, soup, milk, salt, mustard, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg to the cheese/butter mixture - Stir well
•Add the drained macaroni and mix well
•When well blended, put mixture in a 2 1/2 quart baker (or larger)
•Bake 30-40 minutes until the cheese gets bubbly and the top starts to brown - This is all really a personal preference. I sometimes bake it for up to an hour depending on my mood ;)

**This is actually a slow cooker recipe which is supposed to take like 3 hours, but I am impatient so I adapted it for the oven. Also, I often put bread crumbs on top, but it is definitely not a must. I made it just the other day without them and they weren't even missed. In any case, if you would like to add them, I've written below what I usually do.

Bread Crumbs:
I usually don't measure the bread crumbs, just kind of eye ball it. I also eyeball the amount of margarine I use, but it should be enough that when melted in the microwave, it should evenly coat most of the bread crumbs. So, melt the butter in the micro, add it to the bread crumbs, mix well and then add over the mac before putting it in the oven.

Now, go on, make this mac and leave me some feedback.....haha. Ok, probably not funny, but it was to me. Whether you leave feedback or not, just make it and ENJOY it. Once you try this mac, you will never go back :)

Oh, and sorry for no pics AGAIN. My camera is still out of commission and I had to delete the ones off of my phone b/c it was messing it up :( I hope to have some soon, though.