Creamy and Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

I’m always looking for a meal that will satisfy the picky eaters in my family. This creamy and easy homemade mac and cheese is kid friendly, but the adults will love it too. Is it better than Russell Wilson’s grandma’s mac & cheese recipe that he loves? I think it might be. I have partnered with Horizon Organic to bring you a easy evening meal that you all will enjoy and to also encourage you to get the kids in the kitchen cooking with you. For more meals that kid will love, check out these 10 kid-friendly meals that are easy to make.

* This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Macaroni and cheese is a favorite with our kids, especially one in particular who will eat anything related to cheese. We do Horizon Organic Mac & Cheese at lunch time, but when it comes to dinner, I like to take the opportunity to cook with my kids and homemade mac and cheese is a great answer. Of course, box mac & cheese is easier. I choose organic for my box mac & cheese meals because of the purity of ingredients. Who needs those dyes and enriched macaroni products? However, I want to provide you with a really easy recipe for mac and cheese that will get your kids helping in the kitchen and adds another extra layer of yummy-ness for your evening meals. Time to get cooking with your kids. The great thing about this meal is that you can stick with the organic theme. Horizon Organic has milk, cream cheese, and butter, which are all components of this recipe. The crispy bread topping on this macaroni and cheese added a great texture to the dish.

Best Creamy and Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese

6 Tbsp Horizon Organic Butter, divided
3 Tbsp Flour
2 cups Horizon Organic Milk
8 oz Horizon Organic Cream Cheese, cubed
2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
3/4 cup Breadcrumbs (regular and panko mixed)
2 T fresh Parsley (optional – my picky eater puts her nose up to green additions, so I left this out)
24 ounces Cooked Elbow Macaroni (It’s great to buy this organic as well.)

Melt 4 T butter in saucepan on medium heat. Heat milk in microwave to warm (about 1 1/2 minutes).
Stir flour into melted butter until smooth. Add warmed milk, turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes.
Reduce heat and add cream cheese, sharp cheddar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until sauce is smooth.
Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat.
Transfer to 3 qt baking dish.
Melt remaining 2 T butter in microwave.
Toss melted butter with bread crumbs and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Horizon Organics wants to encourage families to get back into the kitchen – preparing food and eating together. I am definitely in that camp as well. According to an article I found on CNN, “Teens who have fewer than three family dinners a week are 3.5 times more likely to have abused prescription drugs and to have used illegal drugs other than marijuana, three times more likely to have used marijuana, more than 2.5 times more likely to have smoked cigarettes, and 1.5 times more likely to have tried alcohol, according to the CASA report.” Further, when kids participate in more meals with their family, they are more likely to eat better portions, eat healthier, have better grades, try new foods and relieve stress. Meals at home also provide less of a dent in your wallet. If you want healthy kids, eating at home is a vital step. How do you help your kids learn to make healthy choices?

How to Homemade Macaroni and Cheese – Visual Tutorial

I always love visual tutorials because I’m a visual person, but I wanted to add these pictures to really show you the little hands that can help in a variety of ways. I hope this inspires you to get cooking with your own kids, as it provides memorable interaction with you as well as a variety of learning experiences.