Shalom. My name is Whitney and I am a cheese-aholic. I love cheese so much. I love it cold, melted, on a sandwich, smothered over fries, shredded over a salad and/or sprinkled (heavily) over some delicious pasta. I’ll eat American “cheese” too. Really, I’m no cheese snob. My love of cheese knows no bounds. When I decided to start keeping kosher, I realized there would be meal decisions in which I was faced with making a choice between meat or cheese (come on, it’s no contest. Cheese wins every time). I had to reckon with the fact that there would even be times when these types of decisions would be made for me by whomever’s house I was visiting for a meal and if they decided to go meat, well, I would have to say “good bye” to my beloved cheese for at least 6 hours (read why here).
Now that it’s been a solid 4 years since deciding to go “kosher”, the things or situations I was initially concerned about are no longer on my mind. Kosher is so ingrained in our everyday life that I don’t miss cheeseburgers or cheesesteaks (too much . . . and neither does my cholesterol level). But, the one meal in which I miss my cheese is the Thanksgiving meal. In true Southern style, my dad’s family used to have the turkey, the dressing, the dinner rolls and a table completely dedicated to casseroles all scattered, covered and smothered in cheese. Gd bless my Southern family. Every year I would haul over to that casserole table and set up camp for hours. So since there is no cheese-laden table at my kosher Thanksgiving feast, I’ve decided to start dedicating Christmas Eve to that dish that is so revered in my mind . . . Macaroni and cheese. Macaroni and cheese represents all that is good and holy about casseroles, in my mind, so as a late Chanukkah/early Christmas gift, I bring to you an ooey, gooey, macaroni and cheese recipe round-up. Break out your Tums y’all, it’s going to be a glorious night.
1. Creamy Smoked Gouda Macaroni and Cheese Recipe {Gluten-Free}
2. Lighter Stove-top Mac and Cheese
3. {Secret Ingredient} Baked Macaroni & Cheese
4. Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
5. Southwest Mac & Cheese with Optional Chicken
6. Oven Baked Macaroni and Feta Cheese
7. Kale and Mushroom Quinoa Mac and Cheese
8. Decadent White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese
10. Dairy-Free Mac n’ Cheese (w/cashew cream sauce)
11. Food Truck Mac n’ Kim-Cheese
12. Baked Mac & Cheese with Panko Breadcrumbs
14. Pepperjack Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese