Not the Gub'mint's Mac-N-Cheese

I consider myself a foodie, and I like to think I have a relatively sophisticated palate.  Why is it, then, that my favorite dish in the whole world is Macaroni and Cheese?
Growing up, I never knew we were poor.  The reason that I never knew we were poor is that my mother made macaroni and cheese for us about once a week.  To me, it was the most decadent stuff on the planet, and I knew that we had to be rich to be able to afford such a rich, scrumptious dish. HAH!  It wasn't until I was sitting around with the family, telling stories of our youth  (in my thirties, no less), that I piped up and said how much I loved it, and my brother and sisters agreed and that we were so lucky to be able to have macaroni and cheese so much growing up....well, my mom started chuckling in the way only a mom who has a long-kept secret over her children can chuckle......and when we questioned her, she 'fessed up.
Seems that the US Government had a program for (poor) military families in which they GAVE AWAY cheese and milk.  She told us we were so poor that we had to depend on these offerings because the monthly salary that my dad made didn't last until the end of the pay period, so we couldn't afford meat from time to time. LOL
I never knew......
Anyway, the news didn't dampen my affinity for the Mac-n-Cheese.  No, not boxed mac-n-cheese that you buy in the store.  We couldn't afford that (thankfully).  My mom made it from scratch, and that is what I do.  However, I will say that I have strayed from the original recipe and this is not my mother's Mac-N-Cheese.
Take heart in the knowledge that you will not feel deprived with this version.  Sigh, the Gub'mint's subsidy cheese is not represented here. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Butter
1 healthy tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Gruyere Cheese, cubed
4 ounces mild Cheddar, cubed
4 ounces Muenster Cheese, cubed
4 ounces Gouda Cheese, cubed
3/4 lb. elbow macaroni (I like Muellers)
2 qts. water
1 generous tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Butter

Bring water to a boil in a 4 Quart saucepan.  Add salt and macaroni and cook according to directions on the box.  When finished cooking, drain immediately in a strainer or collander.  I cook it al dente and don't rinse my pasta.
In a separate 3 or 4 Quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add the flour to the melted butter, stir until velvety and cook on low heat until the mixture becomes blonde.  Add milk and cream, and cook on medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the sauce thickens. Add the cheeses, a bit at a time and let it melt, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  When the cheese is melted, add the nutmeg, stir to incorporate, and then add the macaroni.  Stir to coat and combine all ingredients fully.
Transfer mixture to a baking dish or baking tin, about 9"x12" inches.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small dish.  Add panko breadcrumbs and toss to coat evenly.  Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese mixture.  Bake in a preheated 400*F oven until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the cheese is lightly bubbling on the sides of the dish--about 15-20 minutes.  You can use this as a side dish for almost any protein or as a stand-alone casserole, like I do.

Garden

Mary,
Yes, society needs to stop putting up with what the government "dictates" we have available to eat. I really enjoy having a garden. The worst part is that the location is in a back field and I have to drive and go past my mother in laws house to get to it. She can be a bit nosy at times. lol AND she lets me know that how I do my gardening is not the way they always did it when she was growing up or even when she put a garden out. I love her, but I like doing my garden my way not hers. She does have good tips and ideas on canning produce which I readily listen to and use.
We have decided that with our garden this year, we will plant extra and donate that to our church. The church has a food pantry and I know first hand that the food received from a pantry is not the healthiest. It is great to have food to prepare and even better to receive food for free. We want to be able to give something to the community that they don't normally get.
I have thought about setting up a stand on the side of the road, but there are so many people who do that. The competition just wouldn't make it worth it. Plus, living as far out as we do it would mean driving a good distance and not only packing up the produce, but plan for enough water, food, etc. to last sitting out in the sun somewhere all day. I just don't have the patience to sit all day like that, especially alone and I know I would be alone.
I like the idea of putting our comments in separate posts instead of commenting on a post. Eventually I am sure that we will have followers. Somebody will catch a glimpse of our blog and tell someone else, and so on and so on. Until then.... I think what we are doing is just fine. We are able to share recipes, thoughts, ideas, and some pretty good tips.
I love the bread recipes! My associate pastor has been posting food that she has been cooking with all the snow days we've had and she is just killing me with all the bread, buns, cookies, and main dishes she prepares. She is Italian and she loves to cook and makes lots of it. I start drooling when I read what she is making. Keep the bread recipes coming. I have never been real big on making bread, but lately have thought about attempting some. I think I have some chicken feathers to pluck off myself first. ha ha
Ready for Spring and plowing and planting!

Chicken N Dumplins

1 - 2 lbs. Chicken - whatever you prefer to use (dark meat gives the dish extra flavor)
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
carrots, diced (use whatever amount you prefer, I like carrots so I use a lot)
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. rosemary

flour, shortening, water, milk - for dumplings

Put the chicken and veggies in a pot of water and boil until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove the chicken and let it cool. Once the chicken is cooled enough to handle, pull it, chop it, tear it into small bite-size pieces.

Mix your dumpling mixture just like you would for making biscuits (I always get my husband to do this because he is the bread maker in our family).

While the liquid is boiling (before adding in the chicken) add in your seasonings then drop in spoonfuls of the flour mixture one at a time. Take time not to crowd your dumplings or drop them on top of each other. Once all your dumplings are in and have had about 3 - 4 minutes to boil add in your chicken pieces.

The hardest part of this dish is waiting for the chicken to cool.

Happy cooking and good eating!