Mac & Cheese
Author Notes: This is adapted from a Virginia Hospitality Cookbook recipe called “Creamy Macaroni and Cheese”. Victoria was one of many Junior League of Hampton Roads members who worked on and tested recipes for this bestselling 1975 cookbook – it is still being sold. About thirteen of the recipes in that book were submitted by Victoria.
I always double the recipe for sending one dish home with a child.
Ingredients:
- 7 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
- 2 cups cottage cheese – large curd
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- ½ yellow onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon pepper – or less if you want it less spicy
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- 8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 5 firm, ripe tomotoes, sliced to ¼ inch thickness
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix cottage cheese, sour cream and egg together.
- Add grated onion and about half of the onion juice, salt, pepper, paprika, red pepper, nutmeg. Mix all together.
- Add in cooked pasta. Gently stir. Taste for spices and add more if necessary.
- Add in 1/3 of cheese, stir. Add in 1/3 more and stir. Add only enough more so that mixture will still stir – sometimes it is the rest of the cheese and sometimes not. Taste again for spices – make sure it has enough salt.
- Pour into ungreased 4 quart casserole dish. Place sliced tomatoes on top of casserole, forming a complete layer of tomato on top. Sprinkle tomatoes with coarsely ground pepper and salt.
- Cook for 45 minutes or until bubbling.