"As Comforting as it Gets" Quinoa Mac 'n' Cheese

Being a student there is one thing that I have come accustom to and that’s Kraft Dinner. There’s nothing better and nothing cheaper than a huge pot of creamy, cheesy, pasta goodness. Expect maybe one thing – creamy, cheesy, quinoa goodness. 

This year I tried out quinoa mac 'n' cheese for the first time and I not only impressed myself but I impressed a few of my friends as well. When I explained how easy it was, everyone was on board. I made it from memory by watching my mom make homemade mac 'n' cheese when we were kids. She’d start with a roux (pronounced "roo") and then would add the cheese. So when I first made this recipe I basically eyed everything on my own. This made things quite difficult when I tried to explain to roommates and friends how to make it. “What’s a roux?”, “How much flour?”, “How much butter?”, “How do I know when it’s done and I can add the cheese” and my all time favourite “How much milk?”. All I could say was, “add everything so it’s all a thick consistency” or the straight up answer “I have no idea, Google, how to make a good cheese sauce.” I’m brutal, I know. I'm sorry...

This recipe is so good and to be honest I love it even more than classic mac 'n' cheese. The texture is fun and when it’s fresh out of the oven, it’s gooey and cheesy and the best reason of all – it’s a lot better for you. I figured something so good could be made even better if I added some fun ingredients to it. I decided I’d add canned tomatoes and green onion –  who doesn’t love those things? 

Pack down tight before you top with parmesan and breadcrumbs 

                                                 
Quinoa Mac 'n' Cheese

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups  quinoa
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups of cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
2 chopped green onions
¼ cup parmesan cheese *
¼ breadcrumbs *
a couple dashes of hot sauce*
salt and pepper to taste 

* - OPTIONAL

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add quinoa and water to a pot and boil until the quinoa has doubled in size and water is gone. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter and flour. Keep whisking until a thick paste forms. Add the milk and continue whisking. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Keep whisking the whole time. Once it reaches a boil add salt, pepper, hot sauce and cheddar cheese. Strain tomatoes from the can. Add cooked quinoa, tomatoes and green onion to the cheese sauce. Pour mixture into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs and/or breadcrumbs if desired. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!                                     

There was only three of us and this is how much was left. SORRY, we like to eat! 

             ***I apologize for the lack of photos this week. We were a hungry bunch of girls.***