Macaroni and cheese is an American
comfort food that has about as
many individual recipies as chile.

In poverty circles, it's a staple
in most households. Macaroni, pasta,
and egg noodles are not the same
thing, so it's important to
use each of the separate ingredients
in only those recipies which
call for them by name.

Mac & cheese can easily be
purchased in the frozen sections
of todays markets, but the
hazard here is overcooking
causes those dishes to deteriorate
into a mush which is not always
all that satisfying. Small
portion sizes can also be
frustrating if you just finished
shovelling 10 feet of snow
out in western New York or
dug yourself out of a hurricane
in the South.

If you receive your food at
the food pantry, then try to
stockpile on each variety
so you aren't living on the
same meal every day. If you
are buying your food with
food stamps, purchase your
pasta and macaroni in the
largest possible boxes for
economic savings.

Don't mistakenly think the
VA will somehow have your
check in the mail by next
week. The case backlog is
now up to 737,000 Vet cases
and counting, you have to
plan your poverty meals
for the long haul.

Cheese has also changed and
that too is a tradeoff. To
make Mac & Cheese, the best
choice is the real American
cheese, white or yellow, in
1 pound packages, not individually
wrapped, and frequently marked
as "Deluxe" slices. While real
cheese has a higher fat content,
it also has calcium and other
nutrients.

This recipe is posted because
it is fast, simple, and does
not require a lot of process
and when you are hungry and a
Veteran waiting on the VA, that's
all that counts.

Portions will fill a dinner
plate, and costs about $2.00
a plate.

PAN LIST

1 collander or strainer
1 saucepan, 4 cup size
or larger


INGREDIENTS LIST
small amount of milk
6 or 8 slices of American cheese
salt and pepper
a tablespoon of butter/margarine
macaroni elbows, or the
shape of your choice.
Rotini's etc. are just
fine.

1. Fill the saucepan with water

2. Bring the water to a boil
on high heat.

3. Add macaroni until it fills
about 1/3 or half the pan
depending on how hungry you
are. Lower the heat to medium.

4. Bring the macaroni to a boil
and boil for about 10 minutes
until it nearly doubles in
size and is tender when you
catch one with a fork against
the side of the pan and split
it.

6. Empty the macaroni into the
collander or strainer

7. Put the pan back on the fire
and lower the heat to a low
setting.

8. Pour enough milk to cover the
bottom of the pan. Add the
tablespoon of butter/margarine.
Add salt & pepper in a sprinkling.

9. Take 6 to 8 slices of American
cheese, fold into half, then
half again and tear apart into
fourths and drop into the milk
and butter mixture.

10. As the cheese starts to melt
in the milk, stir it a little
to keep it mixed and from
sticking to the pan.

11. When the cheese is fully
melted into a single mixture,
return the macaroni to the
pan. Stir to mix it up, and
heat for an extra 5 minutes
while stirring it to keep
it from sticking.

Serve this with a green frozen
or fresh vegetable on the side,
or cooked carrots, or sliced
fresh tomatoes - whatever you
have in your house.

Toppings can include a sprinkling
of bread crumbs, baco's bacon
bits found in the salad dressing
aisle at the store, or parmesan
cheese. Baco's will help you
overcome your craving for meat.

After you have done this recipe
a few times, it will be automatic
for you and you won't need any
instructions.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: McClellanVet,