Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese — Meatless Monday

By: Caitlyn Callegari

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Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese

What better way to celebrate Meatless Monday than with a classic, cozy favorite? This Rachael Ray dish is here just in time for autumn, a warm and creamy meal to soothe the outside chill. Despite its savory, mouthwatering nature, this Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese (pictured above) recipe is actually quite easy. It’s an ideal meal to prepare when you’re in a time crunch, taking only 30 minutes to both prepare and cook.

The draw of this meal, other than its rapidity, is that it uses few, readily available ingredients. One of them, of course, is cheese. Rachael’s cheese of choice is pungent white cheddar. Other ingredients include butter, flour, olive oil, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and elbow macaroni. In fact, this meal may not even require a trip to the store! For this dish, the sauce comes first as you let the butter and oil melt together, subsequently adding in flour and then whisking in milk. Once the mixture thickens, cheddar is added a handful at a time. To spice up the sauce, you can season it with the cayenne, nutmeg and a bit of salt. Once the sauce is complete, you can mix in the cooked pasta, coating it with the cheese sauce. From there it’s simple: Put it in a baking dish, add more cheese, and bake until the cheese topping has browned.

Get the recipe: Rachael Ray’s Macaroni and Cheddar Cheese

Meatless Monday, an international movement, encourages people everywhere to cut meat one day a week for personal and planetary health. Browse more Meatless Monday recipes.

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