No Box Mac and Cheese

In the Netherlands, macaroni is a far way off from the much loved Fattis and Monis pasta I have grown up to know and love. The pasta is incredibly small and one of the cutest things I have ever seen, at first I was uncertain about this so I steered clear but like most things once my mom came to visit and I tasted her fine rendition of my childhood favorite, I was persuaded to try something new. To prove my point I have added an image.

This has always been a favorite for me, growing up my mom always made it and I always loved it. Needless to say it is a staple in any home. While we have all grown up watching movies where the beloved Mac and Cheese is something we see made from a box, this naturally seemed off to me.

In the Netherlands, in many of the expats stores I noticed that Mac and Cheese is extremely popular bought in a box, there are multiple brands, multiple flavors and it ranges in price range as well. As you can imagine , the moment my kids see their favorite YouTubers trying these , it immediately becomes a must have. As much as I love my kids, this is a complete non-starter for me.

I love this meal because it takes 20 minutes to prepare and is relatively straight forward , and can be made from 5 ingredients which can be found in most households. It is also incredibly cheap to make, and this way can feed any amount of people.

A disclaimer, given the energy(electricity) prices in the Netherlands, I no longer prepare this the traditional way of my mom with the cheese melted on the top and imitate the box without actually using it. This is a good meal for kids, mine usually eat it with a little to no hesitation and can be a one pot meal so my husband is particularly fond of it as well.

As most of my reciepes , you will find that this one is easy to make and takes minimal time. Feel free to add and remove ingredients as you see fit.

South African Ingredients

• 500g of macaroni or penne pasta

• 50g of butter

• 1 tablespoon of salt

• 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of corn starch

• 1 & 1/2 cups of milk

• One cup of grated cheese

• 1/2 tablespoon of pepper

Netherlands Ingredients:

Instructions:

Variations: