Mom's Mac N Cheese

This is one of my kids favorites. It really speaks to the midwestern heritage that is my family. I remember this growing up and how my brother and I would just wait for it to come out of the oven. It is a fond memory of being nurtured by my mother with the little time she had to do so. My recipe is probably slightly different than hers but the essence is the same.

1lb box of elbow noodles cooked, drained and buttered.

1 lg can of cream of mushroom soup. Or two small.

1/2 block of velveeta cut in 1 inch cubes. I use the store brand substitute but Velveeta certainly has a nuance that somehow makes this dish velvety.

1 bag shredded cheddar cheese. I use at least 8 oz.

1Cup of milk.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Dash of onion powder. ( I often omit this)

Now I remember my mom adding the soup, velveeta and milk to a saucepan and melting it into a sauce. However I can't be bothered. In a large mixing bowl I add the milk , spices and soup together and mix until combined. I add in the noodles and velveeta and half to two thirds of the cheddar cheese. I put it all in a greased baking dish and top with cheese. I sometimes top with sliced tomato . YUM. Bake at 350 Degrees until hot and bubbly and the top gets nice and crusty. My mom's favorite part was the corners. Sometimes the dish would come to the table with corners missing. LOL.

A complete meal version of this is made the same way but I add cubed cooked chicken breast and steamed broccoli. Mix and cook till hot and bubbly. This feeds and army. Good thing I have one.

Let me know how it turns out.