MARCH IS FOR MIXES!
Well, my last post was The Best Ever Pancake Mix. (For those of you wondering how to do it with fresh eggs, I’ve included the original recipe). Well today for lunch, I decided it was high time I figured out how to make my own Macaroni and Cheese mix. I’ve been a little reluctant to try this because I tried it once in a pinch before the babysitter arrived and it didn’t work out….at all….AT ALL. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese…at least whatever they did to change it from when I was a little kid. (Anyone else noticed it has changed? It’s all watery and bland and not CHEESY) Anyway, the heavens smiled upon me today because it really came together. In fact, once I finished it I sat down and had a bowl myself right along with my kiddies. It was cheesy and thick. Like the kind of macaroni and cheese you order off of a kids meal at a restaurant. Super delicious! You’ll need Cheese Powder to do this with…you know….so it is legit like the blue box Macaroni and Cheese. Cheese powder is actually also great to use on popcorn to make it cheese popcorn…just sayin’
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MACARONI AND CHEESE MIX
(makes enough for 6 mixes)
heaping 1/2 C. non-instant dry milk powder or heaping 1 C. instant dry milk powder
heaping 1/2 C. cornstarch
2 C. cheese powder
1/3 C. butter powder (if you don’t want to or don’t have this powder just omit it and add fresh butter later)
Mix ingredients WELL and store in an airtight container.
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MAKING MACARONI AND CHEESE FROM THE MIX
2 C. noodles
heaping 1/2 C. Just like Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Mix
3/4 C. water
1 T. fresh butter (if you didn’t use the butter powder)
Cook noodles until al dente and drain but DO NOT RINSE. Put noodles back in pot, add water, mix and fresh butter (if you’re not using butter powder) Stir until thickened.
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ORIGINAL MACARONI AND CHEESE RECIPE:
1.5 T. non-instant dry milk powder or 3 T. instant dry milk powder
1.5 T. corn starch
1/3 C. cheese powder
1 T. butter or butter powder
3/4 C. water
2 C. noodles, COOKED
Combine ingredients together over a warm stove. Serve warm.
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CRYSTAL’S TIP
Okay, so if you really want to fake out the kids-make sure you use Barilla Piccolini Mini Ziti noodles. There are the kind that Kraft uses and only take 7 minutes to cook-just like Kraft. Or find fun shaped noodles that your kids will love (and usually are expensive as a store bought macaroni and cheese)
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DOWNLOAD MY FREE HOW-TO MAKE HOMEMADE CAKE MIXES HANDOUT!
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It’s my latest and greatest handout (yes, I’ve been up past midnight for the last three nights working on it…so feel free to leave comments on how much you love it! 😉
It includes…
- How to make your own homemade cake, brownie, and muffin mixes
- How to use beans for butter or oil in your baking
- My favorite mixes and one bowl recipes for brownies, muffins, white cake, yellow cake, and chocolate cake
- AND…my favorite glazes and frosting recipes to use for cakes (including the glaze I used for the chocolate cake!).
Yeah….it’s pretty much the neatest thing since sliced bread! Make sure and download your copy today! And please feel free to pass it along to others! This is meant to be used AND SHARED!
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Help Spread the Word!
I love it when you share my tips and recipes for food storage! Do me a quick favor (and remember it’s my birthday!), if you like what you see please share it on facebook, pinterest, or blog about it! And make sure you link either the word “food storage” or “Everyday Food Storage” back to me. Thanks-it makes all the hard work worth it!
Problem is- with the cost of the cheese powder, you’re using about $1/box replacement recipe just on the cheese part of it! It is still more cost effective to keep the Kraft mac & cheese boxes in storage!
How did you figure your math? According to my math it’s about 75 cents equivalent to a box.
Having your own mix for food storage I love. Even if it isn’t cheaper, I know what is in it. I will get the courage to once again try cheese blend. Got it set in my Q order for the month.
Can you break down the cost?
cheaper to buy generic mac and cheese
Sure it’s cheaper, but it doesn’t taste as good!!
You can make this in bulk cheap, if you buy the ingredients from places like Costco or Sam’s Club.
How long do you think this mix will stay fresh? I have a vacuum sealer…
to expensive buy boxed mac & cheese.
Do you know how I would convert this into individual servings, like the Kraft Easy Mac pouches? Would it work in the microwave? And what do you think of grating a block of cheese into itty bitty pieces to replace the cheese powder? Seems like that would be healthier.
The cheese powder has all the same gross artificial ingredients and colors that kraft does, so what’s the point?
Kraft mac and cheese didn’t change, you just make it shitty. Also if I had cheese powder I wouldn’t need the recipe for CHEESE POWDER YOU THUNDER CUNT.
You said powder butter is expensive and you don’t store it. But powder butter is in this recipe. If I’m living off food stoarage and don’t store powder butter,like you said-its to expensive, what can use instead. Just omit the butter and it will still be the same?
You could use oil
Is there a specific kind of cheese powder you recommend? I see a lot of options including: yellow, white, organic, regular…….Also, I see a lot of different brands…..is there one that you like better than others?
We are having a hard time making ends meet towards the last 7-10 days of the month, trying to live on a fixed income and ALWAYS running out of food. Everybody loves mac and cheese right? And it’s filling, too, so I thought I would spend the extra $$ and get the #10 cans of Thrive cheese and the butter powder (we ALWAYS run out of that too, LONG before the month ends!) Buying the big cans was a way to get us through the end of SEVERAL months. All I can say is, “BOY AM I GLAD I DID!” I also stocked up on the Barilla pastas that were on sale, 10 for $10 at the grocery store. (We only had the elbows available, not the “Kraft” type, but it worked out just fine.)
Your recipe SAVED us! And spending a little more at the beginning of the month helped us get through the end of the month, without those rumbling, empty stomachs. I would loved to have also bought the Thrive Instant Milk, but that was just too far out of our meager budget. But I have figured out that I can sub non-dairy coffee creamer mixed with hot water for any recipe requiring milk. And it’s cheaper and even creamier than milk! Thank you SO MUCH for posting this recipe! We are no longer going hungry, thanks to YOU! God Bless…
I’m not too sure about the cost of this mix vs buying Kraft, however this mix has saved me so much money. I do not eat macaroni and cheese, but my toddler LOVES it. I hated having to throw out 3/4ths of the box every time I made it. Now I can make individual servings for her AND use my good high fibre pasta for her.
Thank you so much!