Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Simple White Hot Chocolate

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Pardon the pun, but we are going to fudge just a little bit on this Simple White Hot Chocolate recipe.

white hot chocolate22

On second thought, do not pardon the pun. Puns are great. Puns make life more fun. Embrace the pun. Long live the pun.

puma pants

But for real.

So back to fudging on the Simple White Hot Chocolate recipe. We fudge on this {chocolate} recipe because it contains actual sugar. I hereby declare that at Christmas, we can let our hair down just a little bit {insert rabbit puns here} and enjoy a sweet treat or two. Should we overindulge? I certainly don’t recommend it. I actually only suggest indulging on the treats that are your favorites and really, really, really appeal to you {insert banana puns here}.

white hot chocolate12

white hot chocolate34

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If you’re a white chocolate fan, this one is for you. And no doubt, if you are a fan of easy recipes (who isn’t?), you will definitely love this delicious holiday drink!

Simple White Hot Chocolate

Simple White Hot Chocolate
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 6 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips*
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Heat milk and chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Cook and stir until chocolate is melted (do not boil!).
  3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
  4. Serve right away!

*I get my White Chocolate Chips from Olive Nation. They offer some with a little bit cleaner ingredients and I love their quality. (Yes, there’s still sugar in these. It’s Christmas. Enjoy the treat. Just don’t drink the entire pot.)

By the way, Olive Nation loves Heavenly Homemakers readers so much that they give us a 20% discount on our orders! Shipping is free when your order is $50 or more. Use the code home for the discount!

For a fun twist, add a teaspoon of Peppermint Extract to this Simple White Hot Chocolate recipe!

Simple White Hot Choclate

Want more fun holiday drinks?

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12 Family Favorite Real Food Soup Recipes

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Seeing as this is one of the busiest times of the year – and will soon be the coldest – I think having a list full of Real Food Soup Recipes in our back pocket is a good idea. Would you agree?

potato_soup

First, let’s talk Broth. Here’s my tutorial on making Chicken Broth on the stove-top. In addition, here’s my tutorial on making Beef Broth on the stove-top. I actually like making Beef Broth more often, simply because it doesn’t require the tedious task of boning a chicken. But that’s just me trying to save time in the kitchen. :)

I’ve started playing with making broth in my Instant Pot, which truly is easy and a great time saver! That might become my go-to method of broth making!

Either way, I find that it’s wonderful to have a few jars of homemade broth on hand every week during the winter months so I can quickly make soup for my family! And now for our favorite soup recipes!

12 Family Favorite Real Food Soup Recipes

And while we’re on the subject of soup, if you need Cream of Mushroom Soup or Onion Soup Mix, we’ve got a homemade option for you!

12 Family Favorite Real Food Soup Recipes

And with that, I will sign off. After all, this is one of the busiest times of the year. :) I’d love to hear about your favorite soup recipes!

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The Simplest Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

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Who would like another recipe that only takes an effortless 5 minutes to prepare? What about a recipe that allows you to forget to thaw your meat ahead of time? A recipe that tastes amazing and is a crowd pleaser? Okeedokee! Let the excitement over this Crock Pot White Chicken Chili commence!

white chicken chili11

This is one of those recipes in which you quickly place ingredients into a pot then walk away and let it make dinner for you. Is this a perfect recipe for a busy holiday season? Oh yes. Let’s enjoy our holiday season while our crock pot cooks dinner for us, shall we?

white chicken chili22

Call this White Chicken Chili, or actually, let’s just call it A Night Off. This is one of those rare times we can simply open cans of prepared food and dump them into a pot. We can feel great knowing that it’s all still real food and it’s still healthy and nourishing for our families!

The Simplest White Chicken Chili

The Simplest White Chicken Chili
 
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Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1-2 pounds boneless Chicken thighs or breasts
  • 2 15-ounce cans Black Beans (drained)
  • 2 10-ounce cans Rotel (Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles)
  • 2 cups Frozen Corn
  • 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix*
  • 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
  • 2 8-ounce packages Cream Cheese
Instructions
  1. Place chicken (frozen or thawed) in the bottom of a crock pot.
  2. Add beans, Rotel, corn, and seasonings over the chicken and stir.
  3. Place cream cheese on top of the mixture.
  4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
  5. Remove chicken and shred, then stir it back into the soup.

*Here’s my Homemade Ranch Seasoning recipe.

Complete this meal by pulling salad fixin’s out of the fridge and washing some fresh fruit.

The Simplest Crock Pot White Chicken Chili

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Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins

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It’s like we just can’t get enough of these cheesecake-topped muffins. We’re loving them at our house! Allow me to remind you of the others in this little series before I share the latest Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins:

The fourth and final (at least for now) cheesecake muffin is this:

chocolate chip cheesecake muffin22

Care to peek inside?

chocolate chip cheesecake muffin11

There’s so much yum in there!

I’m not sure why I saved these for last. Perhaps because most have declared them to be the best of them all? You be the judge. They are all amazing.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins

Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins
 
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Author:
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Muffin Mix** or...
  • 1½ cups whole grain flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking power
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
  • Cheesecake topping:
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Scoop Muffin Mix or measure dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add egg, sour cream, milk, and melted butter, stirring until ingredients are combined.
  3. Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  4. Scoop batter into 12-15 prepared muffin tins.
  5. Prepare cheesecake topping by blending (in a blender or with a hand mixer) cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
  6. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of cheesecake topping over each unbaked muffin.
  7. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of each.
  8. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

**You really must get our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook so you can save time and energy by using the Muffin Mix for this recipe instead!! I LOVE having these mixes on hand!!!

Easy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins

 

How are your holiday plans coming? Have you been Getting Ahead for the Holidays? I can’t recommend it highly enough!

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Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (With or Without Chocolate Chips)

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Are you tired of Pumpkin Spice yet? Oh no. You can’t be. It’s way too early for that. And you haven’t even tried these Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins yet!

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I did cringe to see a box of Pumpkin Spice Cheerios at the store the other day. Really now. I think we’ve taken this Pumpkin Spice craze just a little bit too far. I love pumpkin and the delicious spices of the season. But I think we should leave our Cheerios alone. And who needs oddly flavored Cheerios anyway when there are these real Pumpkin Muffins with actual cheesecake topping for our dining pleasure?

pumpkin cheesecake muffin22

Better yet, if I give you permission to sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the muffins if you wish? Well, I think the holiday season just got significantly more merry and bright. Pour a cup of coffee to go with, and a delicate tear will slip out the side of your eye as you recognize that Jesus really is the reason for the season.

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (With or Without Chocolate Chips)
 
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Author:
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Muffin Mix** or...
  • 1½ cups whole grain flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking power
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
  • 1 egg
  • 15-ounces pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
  • Cheesecake topping:
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add egg, pumpkin puree, and melted butter, stirring until ingredients are combined.
  3. Scoop batter into 12-15 prepared muffin tins.
  4. Prepare cheesecake topping by blending (in a blender or with a hand mixer) cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of cheesecake topping over each unbaked muffin.
  6. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on each muffin if you like.
  7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

*Find the recipe for our Pumpkin Spice mix here. Or substitute: 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in this recipe.

**If you have our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook, save time and energy by using the Muffin Mix for this recipe instead!!

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

In case you’d rather eat a Pumpkin Spice Cheerio instead of an actual Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffin, or if you’re someone who doesn’t like pumpkin or the spices that typically accompany this delightful gourd, I will now refer you to this recipes sister recipes:

banana cheesecake muffins22

chocolate cheesecake muffin11

Coming soon: Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins!

chocolate chip cheesecake muffin22

These recipes prove that there is so much to be thankful for this season, am I right?

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Simple Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs

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Today I must begin by apologizing to all the chicken legs. I have underestimated how amazing these gems could taste. I truly had no idea these humble pieces could possibly be so spectacular. Now that I’ve discovered this Simple Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs recipe, the leg of a chicken will forever rise to the top of my meat choices. Move over Prime Rib. The Chicken Leg is where it’s at.

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See, we all know that Prime Rib is delicious because its price tag tells us so. But Chicken Legs? They are so budget friendly. In fact, I watch for mark-downs and get them for less than a buck per pound. Incredible! So obviously I almost always leave behind the rib and go for the leg. There is no other way.

But now we will all learn that this very inexpensive meat selection has turned out to be one of the most delicious items on the menu. Perhaps it is the garlic and the Parmesan we use in this recipe. It likely has something to do with the butter, because obviously, chicken and all of life is better with butter.

Mix all these wonders together and pour them over the infamous chicken leg, and you may just pass out on your plate at first taste. You have been warned. I am not responsible for your medical bills if you fail to brace yourself for this. I have done my part by providing your joy in the form of a leg of a chicken slathered in the most delicious sauce you’ve ever eaten.

garlic chicken 6

Simple Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs

5.0 from 2 reviews
Simple Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
 
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Author:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds chicken legs
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 cloves minced garlic (or 1 heaping Tablespoon garlic powder)
  • 2 Tablespoons flour or cornstarch
  • 1 cup chicken broth or water
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
  1. Place chicken legs in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet, saute garlic in the butter for 2 minutes at medium heat.
  3. Whisk in the flour or cornstarch.
  4. Add chicken broth, continuing to whisk until mixture thickens and is smooth.
  5. Continue to whisk while pouring in cream and sprinkling in cheese.
  6. Allow the sauce to thicken for 1-2 minutes, stirring continually.
  7. Remove sauce from heat and pour it over the chicken legs.
  8. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Simple Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs

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Easy Banana Cheesecake Muffins

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Perhaps you’re thinking, why would I make Banana Cheesecake Muffins when I can make Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins?

banana cheesecake muffins11

I’m here to tell you that I actually like these even better than the chocolate muffins. This, from a girl who loves her chocolate. There’s just something about the subtle sweetness, the perfect moistness, and the obvious cheesecake topping that makes these banana muffins rise to the top for me.

banana cheesecake muffins22

Then there’s the fact that I can think of no better way to use up overripe bananas. Now I watch our uneaten bananas start to turn dark and I’m like, “YES! I’m going to have to make some Banana Cheesecake Muffins with these!”

Notice I said “have to.” Because there is no other option. None at all. The only thing I can possibly do with my blackened bananas is make these Banana Cheesecake Muffins. It is the only way.

Easy Banana Cheesecake Muffins

5.0 from 1 reviews
Easy Banana Cheesecake Muffins
 
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Author:
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Muffin Mix** or...
  • 1½ cups whole grain flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking power
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 mashed ripe bananas
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • Cheesecake topping:
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Scoop Muffin Mix or measure dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add egg, mashed banana, and melted butter, stirring until ingredients are combined.
  3. Scoop batter into 12-15 prepared muffin tins.
  4. Prepare cheesecake topping by blending (in a blender or with a hand mixer) cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of cheesecake topping over each unbaked muffin.
  6. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

**If you have our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook, save time and energy by using the Muffin Mix for this recipe instead!!

Easy Banana Cheesecake Muffins

Check out the sister recipe to this one: Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins. And be watching for more! Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins and Easy Chocolate Chip Muffins recipes coming soon!

chocolate cheesecake muffin11

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Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll

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Go bunless or go home. Wait. That’s just weird. Yes, that’s my weird way of saying that with this Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll there is no bun needed.

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Would you look at that bacon-wrapped meat, just waiting to be put into the oven to make everyone come and ask you forty times when dinner will be ready? This is the worst and the best thing about this recipe. All the smells. And the waiting. Because of the bacon and the cheese and the spices and the meat – everyone will be so eager to eat this delicious-smelling dish. It’s the best! And the worst. Life is very hard because of the good smells and the waiting.

Note how simple this is to make. It is also worth a big mention that this can be made ahead of time (up to two days), then slid into the oven in time to bake for dinner (and to frustrate all the people with the smells).

First, lay your bacon in a pan.

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Then press your hamburger meat over the top and sprinkle on everything that makes it smell better and taste better.

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Next, sprinkle on the shredded cheese.

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Then roll it up. Do you see how easy this is?

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You will bake this and smell this and try to be nice while you have to smell it but still wait eat it. We pray for strength to make it through these hard times.

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Then slice it and try to remember to throw out some form of fruit and vegetable because really? We’ve forgotten this nutritional need because today we’re all just in it for the bacon and the smells.

bacon meat33

Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll

5.0 from 1 reviews
Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ½ pound bacon
  • 1 pound hamburger meat
  • 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion salt
  • 1½ cups shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Lay bacon slices in single file into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Pat hamburger meat evenly over the top of the bacon.
  3. Sprinkle garlic powder and onion salt over the meat.
  4. Top with shredded cheese.
  5. Roll it up.
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes or until bacon is cooked to your liking.

Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll

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Psssst! Remember that right now, Simple Meals members get this Getting Ahead for the Holidays resource packet for FREE in this week’s regular email!

Bonus: Now through November 15, get $10 off your first year’s subscription! No coupon code needed. Simply click through to order and the $10 discount will be automatically applied! Offer expires Wednesday, November 15.

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Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

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Allow me to share with you the story of day these Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins were born.

chocolate cheesecake muffin11

One day I thought to myself, “What if I mixed up chocolate muffins as usual? Then what if I poured cheesecake topping on them before I baked them? What if?”

I did all of that, but then I one-upped my idea by sprinkling mini-chocolate chips on top just before sliding them into the oven. This, of course, completed the recipe as if I was baking perfection itself.

chocolate cheesecake muffin22

Upon the birth of these delicious chocolate cheesecake babies, I began to consider other cheesecake-topped muffin options and lo, their little muffin siblings were born into the world. Coming soon to a Heavenly Homemakers blog near you:

  • Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins
  • Banana Cheesecake Muffins
  • Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Muffins

You see, once I started, I simply couldn’t stop. This resulted in 48 muffins atop my kitchen counter (and a significant number of dirty mixing bowls in my sink). Therefore, I had no choice but to invite approximately half the college campus to come over and eat muffins. I made for them a huge jar of Iced Coffee with which to wash them down.

And behold, it was good.

banana cheesecake muffins11

Additional Cheesecake Muffin recipes coming soon!

It is a fact that I was able to crank out 48 muffins in one setting because I had a container full of Muffin Mix just begging to be used. This made it so easy that I just kept scooping, mixing, playing, and creating.

simple mixes

I said it before. I’ll say it again. These Simple Mixes are my new super power.

chocolate chip cheesecake muffin11

I now present to you the first of the series of cheesecake muffin recipes. And if I’m you, I’d take advantage of the Simple Mixes that Save the Day eBook offer so that you, too, will be given this Super Power. Then we can all make all these muffins as quickly as possible and also we can teleport. What? If I’m going to have a Muffin Mix Super Power, I would also like to teleport. A girl can dream.

Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
 
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Author:
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Muffin Mix** or...
  • 1½ cups whole grain flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar or sucanat
  • ½ teaspoon baking power
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • Cheesecake topping:
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Scoop Muffin Mix or measure dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  2. Add egg, sour cream, milk, and melted butter, stirring until ingredients are combined.
  3. Scoop batter into 12-15 prepared muffin tins.
  4. Prepare cheesecake topping by blending (in a blender or with a hand mixer) cream cheese, egg, maple syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
  5. Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of cheesecake topping over each unbaked muffin.
  6. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of each.
  7. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

**If you have our Simple Mixes to Save the Day eBook, save time and energy by using the Muffin Mix for this recipe instead!!

Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

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The BEST Creamy Mac and Cheese, Made Simpler and Faster

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Back in the olden days of blogging, I shared what became one of my most popular recipes: Creamy Mac and Cheese. What makes this Creamy Mac and Cheese different? It’s made with whole grain pasta and it’s made with a completely different method which gives it the ultimate chance of creaminess. This happens because…

We cook the pasta directly in milk.

creamy mac12

Yes. We dump dry pasta into a pot and we pour in a generous amount of milk (whole milk, because creaminess). We salt it to taste, then we cook and stir until the pasta is tender and the creaminess becomes perfection. We remove it from the heat because we are people who read directions! Then we stir in the cheese and we cry tears of joy as we serve the delicious Creamy Mac and Cheese to our families.

So now, eight years after I first shared this recipe online, I will tell you a fun little tip so you can make this wonderful recipe in an even simpler, faster way. It’s this:

The smaller the noodle, the faster your Creamy Mac and Cheese hits the table.

creamy mac22

It’s kind of a no-brainer. However, I had always used penne or fusilli shaped pasta for this recipe, both of which are similar in size and take about 15 minutes to cook. Fifteen minutes is not a long time to get dinner on the table. But…

One day recently, I used small elbow noodles to make this Creamy Mac and Cheese and boom. The pasta was tender before I’d even cooked the peas or washed the grapes to go with our meal. Sweet! Not only can we make this meal without having to think ahead to thaw meat, we can throw it together even faster if we use a smaller noodle.

I’d say that taking advantage of this tip is really “using our noodle” but then I’d sound like Elmo and I’m not sure that’s how I want you to remember me.

Creamy Mac and Cheese Made Simpler and Faster

4.5 from 2 reviews
The BEST Creamy Mac and Cheese, Made Simpler and Faster
 
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Author:
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups whole grain pasta
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Mix pasta, milk, and salt in a large sauce pan.
  2. Cook over medium-high heat stirring almost constantly until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat. (IMPORTANT!)
  4. Add cheese and stir until melted.
  5. Serve immediately.

Keep this recipe in your hip pocket for days you need to get a meal on the table quickly. Use small sized pasta so this will cook more quickly. Serve it with a salad and/or veggies and fresh fruit and you’ve just put a super simple meal on the table in record time.

The BEST Creamy Mac and Cheese

My favorite whole grain pasta to use in this recipe:

  • DeLallo Whole Wheat Elbows (quickest cooking pasta for the Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe!)
  • DeLallo Whole Wheat Penne
  • DeLallo Whole Wheat Fusilli
  • DeLallo Whole Wheat Shells
  • DeLallo Whole Wheat Gemelli (this is our all time favorite pasta shape for all the recipes in the world)

I have successfully made this recipe with Tinkyada Rice Pasta, so gluten-free friends, you get to enjoy this recipe too!

NOTE: It is quite important that you remove the cooked pasta from the heat BEFORE you add the cheese. If the pasta is still cooking when the cheese is added, this may cause the cheese to curdle. In addition, I’ve found that using pre-shredded cheese in this recipe doesn’t work as well because of the added ingredients in the packaging. I use cheese we shred at home for best results.

Creamy Mac and Cheese Varieties

Have you tried this method for making Mac and Cheese? What’s your favorite pasta shape?

Psssssst!

Seeing as this recipe is definitely a Heavenly Homemaker Favorite, you can bet that it’s included in my Best of Heavenly Homemakers book!! (There are only a few recipes included, but this had to be one of them!)

I just peeked and the book is up already on Amazon! Be the first to grab it!!

best of cover4

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