"Cheesy Noodles"

When I was a little girl, there was a Saturday afternoon tradition for our family. It wasn't every single Saturday, but a lot them. My mom would take us out to Granny and Grampa's for lunch, and 99% of the time we'd have macaroni and cheese. Without a doubt, my Granny made the best mac & cheese (& tomatoes). And she almost always served it with cracked wheat bread and butter. The taste, combined with the memories, makes this the ultimate comfort food for me. I think I've got my boys completely hooked on this food, too (let's be honest - what kid doesn't like mac and cheese?!!?). When we go to visit my mom on a week-end, she always prepares this lunch for us. It's also become a staple in our weekly lunch meals. And the boys request cheesy noodles when we get together with Papa Ken for lunch - every single time! I know I will never make my noodles as good as my Granny's (forever her's will be the ultimate in my mind!). My mom comes very close....her noodles are great, too ;)

Here is my recipe for Granny-inspired Mac & Cheese. I think the secret ingredient that makes them so yummy and different from other recipes is the ONION SALT! That's also Dylan's favourite part (probably because it's one of the few foods he actually gets with salt on it!). This certainly isn't a diet food, and isn't exactly up there with the healthiest of meals. However, it is much better for you (and 1000 times tastier) than a box of KD. It's easier to make from scratch than you'd think. So here's the recipe for a big pot of cheesy noodles. I hope you enjoy!

(p.s. As I previously mentioned, Granny was most famous for her macaroni & cheese with tomatoes. I prefer mine without.......so this recipe is for just mac and cheese!)

Granny-Inspired Mac & Cheese

• 7 cups cooked macaroni noodles
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheese (personal fav is marble, but cheddar works, too)
• 1/2 tsp onion salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white sugar

1. Cook and drain macaroni noodles. Dump them back into large pot.
2. Turn heat on burner to med-low. Add butter and milk to noodles, and stir until butter is melted. Add 1/3 of the cheese, stir into noodles. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. Stir until all the cheese is melted. If you are getting a lot of clumps, you can add a little more butter or keep it on the heat a little longer.
3. Finally stir in onion salt and sugar.
4. Serve in a big bowl with a little extra sprinkle of onion salt and a slice of bread. ENJOY!