A few of my readers and I are cooking our way through Ree Drummond’s book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, one recipe at a time.  Feel free to join in this culinary adventure any time.  The next assignment will be at the end of this post.

Mmmmmmm….Mac and cheese!  Is there any more perfect food?  I am a big fan of a mac and cheese, from Kraft to Cracker Barrel to my own crock pot concoctions, so this recipe was an easy sell for me.

I loved this recipe!  I was a little skeptical when I saw all the steps and all that whisking you had to do to make the sauce, but it really turned out to be much easier than it seemed at first.  It was flavorful and had a good texture and was just plain delicious. I only made one slight variation.  I was out of ground mustard, so I made the substitution of just using regular French’s mustard from the bottle.  I even looked it up on-line to make sure I had the correct measurements.  I’m glad I went to the trouble because I thought the mustard flavor was distinct and made this dish a little unique.  One thing I might like to experiment with in the future is the cheese.  I used sharp cheddar, but I think a combo of two or three different kinds might make it a tad more gourmet and interesting.

Everyone here liked it, including Big D, who is not all that into macaroni and cheese.  Thankfully, it has not been a point of contention in our marriage.  He said if he had to have mac and cheese that it might as well be this dish.  Good enough for me!

So, what did you all think?  Special?  So-so?  Make any changes?  Would you make it again or go back to your old stand-by?  Talk to me about your mac and cheese!

For our next assignment we’re going back to the beginning, to the starter section of the book.  Let’s make the Pico de Gallo on pps. 16-17, and then, if you want to, go ahead and try the Guacamole on pps. 20-21, since all you do for that one is add the pico to mashed avocados.  Fresh produce is very plentiful around here right now, so I thought this was as good a time as any to go ahead make this tasty treat! Let’s get this on our tables by Monday, April 26.

(Both of these recipes are found on PW’s site here, so feel free to join in even if you don’t have the book!)