Lunch and Munch - Mac and Cheese

I saw a segment on my local new station's morning show about healthy, kid-friendly places to eat in Portland: Kids and Restaurants Video.  It got me thinking, what are the healthy things my kids like to eat?  Melina, who is now two months old, prefers breast milk from one and only one source... mom.  She won't even take it from a bottle, although we've tried since she was three weeks old.  Caden, my two year old, has a much wider range of yummies he likes.  

He's always been a good veggie eater.  He even likes it mixed into foods.  Mac and Trees, made with Kraft Veggie Pasta Macaroni and Cheese, is one quick fix.  

  Just add broccoli to the "healthier" version of the classic Mac and Cheese in the blue box.  More healthy eating ideas for Kraft foods can be found here:  Kraft Recipes.

I'll admit, Kraft is NOT my favorite, but it's fast and leaves little cleanup at the end of the meal...  If I could, I'd make my Mac from scratch every time.  My basic recipe comes out of my mother's old Betty Crocker cookbook:

1 1/2

cups uncooked elbow macaroni (5 oz)  (I use shells and penne pasta sometimes, too)

2

tablespoons butter

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper (substitute with white pepper for more zip and add 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1/4

cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 3/4

cups milk

6

oz American cheese loaf, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I use Tillamook sharp or medium cheddar, or Velveeta depending on how "classy" I want it to be...) 

• Step 1
• Heat oven to 375°F. Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package using minimum cook time.
• Step 2
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Step 3
• In small bowl, mix flour and milk until smooth; stir into butter. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir in macaroni. Into ungreased 9 by 9 glass casserole pan, spoon macaroni mixture.
• Step 4
• Bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly and light brown.
• This recipe is modified from the one found here: Mom's Macaroni and Cheese

Another Recipe:  Martha Stewart "World's Best Mac and Cheese"

What do your kids like to eat?

What's your favorite way to make Mac and Cheese?