When I think about Fall, I think about comfort food. All kinds of comfort food! One meal that always goes over great at our house is my Grandma’s Macaroni & Cheese. It’s made the same way her mother always made it and it’s pretty simple. I think that’s what’s so nice about it. This recipe comes from a time when some of the best dishes were just that. Simple and made with love. As a child this was one of my favorite meals and til this day if our family is going to be eating dinner at Grandma’s she likes to make this Macaroni & Cheese for me! Yum!

This homemade Macaroni & Cheese is not your typical creamy, saucy version. Instead, it’s a good old fashioned, on the farm type recipe that’s got a whole lot of cheesy goodness in it. Sharp Cheddar and Colby Jack Cheeses are cubed and layered on top of perfectly cooked elbow macaroni along with a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper on top of each layer.

Once your two layers of macaroni and cheese has reached the top of your casserole dish, beat a few eggs with milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until warmed. Take that liquid mixture and pour it over your macaroni and cheese layers just until it almost touches the top layer. Then bake it in your hot oven until it’s golden around the edges and nice and bubbly!

I love the first bite of this when it has that crispy cheesy edge along with the soft elbow macaroni all in one. This is a rustic dish that definitely qualifies as comfort food here at our house. We like to serve this with some homemade meatballs, fresh green beans and warm rolls for a delicious dinner.

I had not made this recipe in a while, so it was a very nice surprise when it made an appearance on our dinner table for my family this week. It’s funny how a simple recipe can take you back to a different time and fill your mind and heart with wonderful memories.

If you’re looking for a comforting old fashioned meal this week, give this recipe a try! It’s perfect for the colder weather ahead and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Here’s a little tip: I know this may sound silly, but if you’ve got homemade strawberry jam at home, try a little dollop of it over this warm macaroni & cheese! My grandfather always ate his that way and it’s delicious! There’s something about the sweetness of the cool jam with the saltiness of the hot cheese that’s just sooo good!

Do you have a favorite simple family dinner recipe that’s been handed down throughout the years? I would love to hear about it in the comments!

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The weather is getting warmer and that usually means we’ll be spending more time outdoors.  One of my favorite things to do when Spring comes around is to get cooking out on our grill.  Grilling chicken, hamburgers or even hot dogs always makes for a simple, but delicious meal.  The meal wouldn’t be complete without some yummy sides though.  This simple Shrimp & Tuna Macaroni Salad is a tasty side dish that will go great with your favorite grilled meats, serve a crowd and can even be eaten by itself for a light meal.

When it comes to macaroni salads, I really like to keep things simple.  I try not to steer to far away from the classic-style macaroni salad that most people grow up with and come to expect at a cookout.

For this recipe, elbow macaroni is cooked al dente, completely cooled then blended with albacore tuna, extra small shrimp, finely chopped onion, celery, creamy mayonnaise, freshly grated carrot, green peas and chopped red pepper for a Macaroni Salad your family is sure to love.

We don’t eat a lot of seafood meals at our house, but I’m always trying to introduce or incorporate different foods to our children without making a huge deal about it.  This macaroni salad is nice because the shrimp are pretty small, and even though we don’t eat them on a daily basis, the pasta is a familiar food which makes this salad something that my kiddos will eat without to much hesitation.

This recipe makes quite a bit of Macaroni Salad.  It can be made ahead of time and is perfect for a large family get together.  If it’s just made for your family, you can enjoy the leftover salad throughout the week for lunch or another cookout later on in the week.  My husband really likes shrimp, so he was very happy to eat this salad for a side with his sandwiches for lunch.  You can also serve this on top of a fresh bed of Spring Mix Greens or Spinach! Yum!

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*Linking up at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

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We are heading into the beginning of spring, but it’s still a little cold in my neck of the woods so I am attempting to take the chill off with this great slow cooker meal.  If you like chili, I think you will love this simple pasta variation.  You can tweak the recipe a bit to add your favorite type of beans or special spices that you may normally use in your chili.  This meal serves 8, or you can save some for leftovers.  For our family, this meal would not be complete without freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and a loaf of  bread:)

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