Back to School Macaroni and Cheese

Do you want your child to be the most popular kid in the lunch room? Try this macaroni and cheese recipe. I flavored the béchamel sauce with roasted red bell pepper, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and of course a variety of cheeses. The color turns out more vibrant and the texture is perfect with both gooey and stringy cheese mixed together.

I packed the mac and cheese in a bento-style thermos lunch jar so the dish would remain warm until lunch time. My little 6-year-old sis-in-law has been going to school for less than a week but she's already made a lot of friends. When she came home, I found an empty box. She told me her lunch box is a great conversation starter!

Le Mac and Cheese

Yesterday, we had a healthy meal. I worked out for an hour and felt good. But today to hell with exercise! We haven't had macaroni & cheese since Thanksgiving and the kids were asking for it. And when I say kids, I mean my husband.

We always make mac and cheese from scratch, and after trying this recipe, you will too. Say goodbye to  those blue boxes of powdered synthetic "cheese" product.

To bring more flavor to an ordinary mac and cheese, I use an herb-infused butter. I picked oregano,  tarragon, dill and thyme. This is what I have left in my herb garden from this past season. You can mix  and match whatever other herbs or spices you want like basil, chives, marjoram or even garlic and chili.  Have fun and create your own unique flavor. 

For Mac & Cheese, use any kind of tube-shaped pasta so that it can be coated inside and out with all the  cheesy goodness. For this particular preparation, I used the typical elbow-shaped pasta.