In my quest for a mac 'n cheese recipe my kids will eat I decided to abandon the traditional mac 'n cheese ship for a while. After many recipes and failed attempts I made Shells 'n Parm. Or, as I call it so my kids will trust me and eat it "pasta with butter and parmesan."
I tried to cut out as many steps as possible in order to make this both tasty and realistic. If it has too many steps we certainly aren't eating it for lunch. Especially considering it isn't exactly a balanced meal so you have to cook some veggies and cut up some fruit to go with it. I suppose if you had more open minded children you could throw some veggies in it.
Andrea's Creamy Shells 'N Parm
8 oz. dried pasta shells (this was about 4 cups of pasta for me)
3 1/2 cups water
12 oz. evaporated milk (I've also used heavy cream, have yet to try milk)
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese plus some for the finished product
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
In a large pot combine the water, evaporated milk, butter, pasta and salt. Bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 9-12 minutes, until pasta is tender. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. DO NOT DRAIN. Add the parmesan and Italian seasoning and mix well until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let sit so sauce will thicken for a few minutes. Serve with freshly grated parmesan. This would taste really good with Italian Cheese Bread.
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