Small Batch Macaroni and Cheese
Small Batch Baked Macaroni and Cheese is baked in a loaf pan. The macaroni is not boiled so it's very easy to throw together, though you do need to have a blender or food processor handy to puree the cottage cheese.
Servings 3
Ingredients
- Some butter for greasing the pan
- ⅔ cup cottage cheese – low fat works (ricotta also works) but regular is better
- 1 cup whole milk**
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 oz 2 cups shredded or grated cheese – I used a combination of cheddar and American
- ¼ pound elbow pasta uncooked.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub a 9x5 inch loaf pan with butter or spray with cooking spray.
- In a blender or food processor, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- Put the dry macaroni in the loaf pan. Set aside ¼ cup of the shredded cheese, then toss the remaining cheese in the loaf pan with the dry macaroni. Pour the milk mixture over the top and stir it all together in the loaf pan. Cover loaf pan tightly with foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil, stir well, bake for another 30 minutes. About 15 minutes before macaroni is ready, sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Total cook-time is 1 hour. Let sit for about 8-10 minutes before serving.
- Makes 3 or 4 side dish servings
- **If you don’t have any whole milk you can use a cup of 2% minus 1 tablespoon, then add in 1 tablespoon cream. That is, if you have cream in the house.
