Macaroni and Cheese Casserole
Ingredients:
- 2 cups elbow macaroni
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Method:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
- Add butter, 2 1/2 cups cheese, milk, cream, mustard powder, salt, and pepper to the macaroni. Stir until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy.
- Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden and crispy.
Discovering Miss Maple’s Treasures
This summer, while exploring a yard sale in the heart of our little community, I stumbled upon a true gem—a worn, lovingly bound homemade recipe book simply titled Miss Maple’s Recipes. The pages, yellowed with age and tinged with the faint aroma of cinnamon and vanilla, transported me straight to a 1950-1960s kitchen.
Miss Maple, as I’ve come to imagine her, was likely a woman of charm and warmth, the kind who always had a pie cooling on the windowsill. Her recipe book is more than a collection of culinary secrets—it’s a snapshot of a simpler time. Each page is filled with meticulously handwritten recipes, smudges of flour marking her favorites. Charming doodles of flowers and teacups decorate the margins, and the occasional note—“Perfect for church socials” or “Billy’s favorite!”—offers a glimpse into her life.
As I leafed through the pages, I couldn’t help but feel a connection to this long-gone era of neighborhood potlucks, family Sunday dinners, and homemade everything. Miss Maple’s recipes are a testament to the art of cooking from scratch, where love and effort are the main ingredients.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing my adventures trying to recreate these vintage recipes, from her famous “Heavenly Angel Pie” to her delightfully nostalgic “Jell-O Salad with a Twist.” Miss Maple’s legacy lives on, one delicious bite at a time. Stay tuned as we step back in time and rediscover the magic of mid-century cooking!
