Compensation was provided by General Mills via Federated Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills.
On top of providing guidance to shape my little ones into well-rounded, loving, compassionate, grace-filled, free thinking adults, loving them endlessly and setting the foundation on which all other life steps are built on, I also have to feed them. And truth be told, the feeding part really gets to me. It seems like I’m always prepping, making or cleaning up food stuff and it also seems like someone is always complaining about something. A conducive and inspiring environment, it is not. Thankfully my food preferences outweigh my frustrations so I soldier on.
For our menu, we do repeat a few favorite food items because 1.) they are quick and easy to make and 2.) the complaints are few. MJ and I are always on the look out for meals that hit these two low-standard yet important points. When I first had a look at the five recipe starters from Progresso, I was impressed by the number possibilities. Creamy Three Cheese, Creamy Portabella Mushroom, Creamy Roasted Garlic, Creamy Parmesan Basil and Fire-Roasted Tomato provide a quick and easy way to make tasty meals in minutes.
While reading about the Creamy Portabella Mushroom sauce, I was interested in the mention of béchamel. After some furious searching, I learned béchamel was a rich white sauce made with milk, seasoned with herbs and other flavors. I did further searches for uses of it in recipes and found a béchamel/macaroni & cheese dish. I went with it and it turned out great. Not only does it taste yummy but half of the work is cut out with this sauce! It’s a win all the way around!
Creamy Mushroom Macaroni & Cheese
recipe adapted from Chow
12oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2-9 oz packages of Creamy Portabella Mushroom Recipe Starter Sauce by Progresso
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Romano cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup panko
Toss the cooked noodles, the cream of mushroom recipe starter, cheddar cheese, Romano cheese and salt together and stir well.
Pour into a casserole dish and top with panko.
Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until the cheeses are melted. Brown the panko under the broiler for a few moments if need be.
Eat!
For more easy dinner ideas, visit http://progresso.com/Products/Recipe-Starters
I added some sautéed portobellos to make this dish a little heartier. Delicious and easy!