5 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

As promised I wanted to share this wonderful holiday recipe that has become a tradition in my family.  This 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese is totally worth splurging on caloric intake for and it is a hit with everyone old and young! The recipe was originally found in Patti Labelle's cookbook "Recipes for the Good Life" and can be found here.

Go and make it now! This is comfort food at its finest!

OVER THE RAINBOW MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1lb Elbow Macaroni

8 Tbsp (1 stick) plus 1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Muenster Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Monterey Jack

2 Cups Half-And-Half

1 Cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes

2 Large Eggs , lightly beaten

1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt - Buy Here

1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

2. Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

3. In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

4. Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Oven Roasted Chicken

This is my go-to for when a recipe calls for "X Cups of Cooked Chicken." I've used it to make casseroles, calzones, chicken salad, EVERYTHING. It is super quick and easy and results in a nice juicy chicken breast that is ready to be transformed in any type of recipe.

Only 5 Easy Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Rub your chicken in Olive Oil. Good EVOO is necessary in any kitchen.
3. Season with coarse salt and pepper. If you want a more rotisserie style chicken then add a salt based seasoning as well such as seasoning salt or Cajun seasoning.
4. Pop it in the oven for 35-45 minutes depending on the amount you are baking and the size of the pieces. I mostly use boneless skinless and it is the fastest only taking 20-30 minutes on average. If you are using bone-in pieces it will take the full 35-45 minutes. Make sure the juices have run clear and if you're really afraid of salmonella make sure the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes and then use as you wish!