Tis the season for semester finals, and I, for one, am not looking forward to taking them. I need my blankie! I need to sleep in until noon! I need to roll around in my pajamas! I NEED COMFORT.

There’s no better way to receive comfort than through food. Considering I’ve “comforted” myself with nothing but cookies and cupcakes and cake and candy for the past week, it’s time I turn to another favorite of mine that does not include chocolate – macaroni and cheese.

As far back as I can remember, I have eaten mac n’ cheese. What kid hasn’t snuggled up to a bowl of tasty oblong noodles and processed cheese? It’s everywhere! It’s in those little frozen dinners for kids; it’s what the middle school cafeteria serves when they run out of mystery lunch; it’s what my mother always mixes with tomato sauce and ground beef for her trademark “Mom’s Supreme.”

I always thought mac n’ cheese came in a blue box to which you added a packet of powder and, voila! Dinner was served. When I was gifted a Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook (1997) in my pastry chef days, I had no idea that my perception of the bright orange goodness was about to change. Hidden deep with its pages was a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese – an idea that had never occurred to me.

“I can make it myself?” I thought, “and so easily too!”

From then on, I was hooked to real macaroni and cheese, and haven’t looked back.

I recently came across this recipe for Italian mac n’ cheese while I was searching for ways to turn the classic into a more modern meal. I’ve modified it to preserve the essence of mac n’ cheese and for a simpler shopping list.

Italian Mac n’ Cheese

Makes 2 bowls worth

Ingredients:

1 cup of elbow macaroni

½ C of milk (I used reduced fat)

4 – 6 slices of deli American cheese (number of slices depends on how cheesy you want it. I also used white American cheese, but any sliced cheese will work)
1 ½ tbsp. margarine or butter

¼ lb mild or sweet Italian sausage

½ of a red tomato

1/8 of a white onion

¼  tsp. garlic powder

Salt, pepper, oregano

Vegetable oil
Directions:

1. Fill a medium pot with water. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and oregano to the water and set it over a medium-high flame. Pour in about 1 – 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. This will keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot and to each other.

2. Prep the sausage by removing the casing. It’s easiest to do this by taking your knife and cutting down the casing lengthwise to create an opening. Pull the casing from the sausage and discard it in the trash. Cut the sausage into bite sized pieces, about one tablespoon of meat to each piece. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly before working with any of the other ingredients.

3. Coat the bottom of a saucepan with vegetable oil and put the sausage in. Cover the pan and cook the meat over low heat. Stir every so often to make sure that all the pieces are browned evenly. This will ensure that the meat is done at the same time as the macaroni and cheese.

4. By this time, the water in the pot should be boiling. Add one cup of elbow macaroni and let it cook for about 8 – 10 minutes, depending on how firm you want the pasta. Traditionally, macaroni is cooked until it’s firm but chewy.

5. While the pasta is cooking, cut the onion and the tomato up into small, square pieces. The tomato can be cut into larger squares if desired.

6. Remove the pasta from the heat once it’s cooked to the way you want it. Strain it over a sink and return the pasta to the pot. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of margarine or butter, ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, and the cheese. Mix it all together over low heat until well blended.

7. Slowly add the ½ cup of milk, mixing it into the macaroni and cheese until the mixture becomes creamy. If there is any left over, save it.

8. Add the tomato and onion pieces, incorporating them well. Remove the macaroni and cheese from the heat. The sausage can be added at this time, if fully cooked. Take a piece out of the pan and cut it open to see if it is still pink inside. If it is, let the meat cook for another minute or two on higher heat, stirring constantly, before added to the pasta.

9. Add the rest of the milk if the mixture looks lumpy. Even with the added ingredients, the mac n’ cheese should still have a creamy texture.

10. Separate into two bowls and enjoy! Toasted bread would be make a great side dish.