School is only a few weeks away and I am already starting to get my family on a schedule. Don’t get me wrong, we are still having a lot of Summer fun, but I am tweaking things here and there because let’s face it…going back to school and getting back into that routine is a big adjustment. For all of us!
As much as I like to be scheduled and organized, dinner at our house in the Summertime is not on a set schedule. Sometimes my husband works late, or sometimes we lose track of time with a project outside and dinner is whenever I get around to making it, at reasonable hours of course.
I couldn’t sleep the other night, so I got my household binder out, sat by the window enjoying the cool summer breeze and managed to get the whole month of August and half of September’s meals scheduled. That was a HUGE accomplishment for me! I love putting the menu up every week on the refrigerator so I don’t have to hear, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” and so I don’t feel frazzled and wonder myself what’s for dinner. My kiddos head right over to the refrigerator and know ahead of time what is for dinner and really look forward to some of the more fun meals too!
My children’s new favorite is this yummy Salsa Macaroni & Cheese! They love it because I serve it with a side of tortilla chips that they can scoop the macaroni up with. I love it because it’s really pretty easy and it’s freezer friendly too! The thick and creamy, homemade sharp cheddar cheese sauce is mixed with a jar of your favorite salsa (or even your homemade salsa from the garden) and sour cream then tossed with tender small shell pasta and baked in the oven until nice and bubbly. This variation of macaroni and cheese is a really fun week night meal and tastes great with a fresh salad or fruit.
If your family loves salsa, I think they are really going to enjoy this dish! This even passed the “Picky Eater Test” at our house – no leftovers! 🙂
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked small shell pasta, cooked and drained
- 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 Tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 cups 2 % milk
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 4 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1 (16 oz.) jar of your favorite Medium Salsa
Instructions
- Cook macaroni until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large pan, under medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the flour, and stir until smooth for about a minute.
- Stir in the milk and sour cream while stirring until thick.
- Add the salt and pepper and stir.
- Stir in the cheese until melted.
- Add the salsa, stir.
- Add the macaroni and mix well.
- Pour into a casserole dish, and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
- Serve hot.
- Serves 6.
- *To freeze- prepare as usual, but do not bake. Cool, cover and freeze in a freezer and oven safe container. When ready to eat, move to the refrigerator overnight to defrost, and bake as usual in the evening.
- Enjoy!
*Linking up at:
That looks amazing. Pinned and saved!
Michele @ Alwayzbakin recently posted…Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies
Thanks Michele! Have a great weekend:)
This would be great for a party or to take to a block party.
Madonna
MakeMineLemon
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon recently posted…Gourmet S’mores
Thank you Madonna!
This looks AMAZING!
BTW, I like your blog, which I just discovered after a search for “country living.” My family will be moving from the city to the country in a few months, so I’ve been reading up. 🙂
Thanks so much Britta! Best of luck with the move! 🙂
Oh yum, this sounds delicious! What a great way to jazz up regular mac n’ cheese… so easy! I bet it would be delicious with some ground meat mixed in, too!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel recently posted…Horse Cupcakes
Thank you Jess! You’re right, beef sounds like a great addition! I’ll have to try that! 🙂