Mom's Southern Cooking - Macaroni and Cheese

As a child, I never had macaroni and cheese from a box. Never. My mom always made her own and it was divine. And, as it turns out, incredibly easy to make! The first time I ever served McKinley my macaroni and cheese, he turned up his nose. And, to this day, he will not eat it. Nor will he eat my moms! He is Kraft macaroni man! Even Joel told him he didn't know what he was missing!

When I started dating my husband, I wasn't much of a cook. I literally lived off a gallon of skim milk and a box of cereal! But, he was a guy who made dinner for himself every night, super self-sufficient, so I decided I needed to do so as well. Okay, I actually only cooked when he came over and that was generally on the weekends. During the week, I still lived off the milk and cereal diet.

The first time I made the macaroni, he didn't see me use the "secret" ingredient. He simply ate the meal, compliment my cooking, and said it was definitely something he would eat again. (To this day, when trying something new, I always ask if it is something he would eat again. It's generally a yes.) So the next time I made cube steak with mac and cheese, he happened to be watching when I added the "secret" ingredient. And, his response had a hint of confusion and disgust. You see, unbeknownst to me, my mom always added a little bit of sugar as a finishing touch to her macaroni and cheese. So, when she told me the ingredients, as you will see below, she told me she added a spoonful or two of sugar. I followed suit. Joel was shocked! I told him I added the exact same thing to the dish the last time I made it and he had eaten every single bite. He hasn't complained since!

The ingredients are fairly complicated! Here's what you'll need: a box of macaroni (any version will do), sliced American cheese, and sugar!

You also need a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, add a nice amount of salt, and then your macaroni, or for those fancy chefs out there, pasta. Cook to a little past al dente. Drain the macaroni, or pasta, and return to the pot.

I like my macaroni a little on the cheesy side so I use between four and five slices of cheese. Break up the slices into squares for easy melting. Add the cheese and stir until melted.

Once your macaroni achieves your preferred cheese consistency, add the sugar. Honestly, don't knock it until you try it, but if it's just not your thing, leave it out the next time.

And here is the complete meal! Cube steak, macaroni and cheese and those yummy triple berry muffins! 

If you give the recipe a try, let me know your thoughts! I would love to get feedback on the secret ingredient and if it was a big a hit in your home!