I am very new to blogging and social media. There are so many programs out there presenting me with different ways to communicate with people. The lovely Isabel of Family Foodie reached out to me during my first few days on Twitter and invited me to join an incredibly warm, creative, and like-minded group that is bringing back Sunday Supper. I am incredibly touched and grateful for her doing so.
Sunday Supper has always been a big deal in my family; in fact, eat dinner together has always been a priority. Every single day, my mom would get up at 5 a.m., make lunch for the family, work all day, buy fresh groceries after work in Chinatown, and then come home and cook a delicious, nutritious meal that was ready on the table by 6 p.m. We would eat together as a family every day. If you were coming home later, a plate of leftovers would be waiting. My mom, anticipating the time you’d arrive, would have the leftovers already warmed up for you as you walked through the door.
After my older sisters moved out of the house to live with their husbands, they would come home every Sunday and we’d have a big meal together as a family. I moved out with the Husband three years ago and now it’s our turn to return to my parent’s house and keep the Sunday tradition alive.
I’m a big believer in Sunday dinner and all that it represents. It’s knowing that no matter how busy your life gets, no matter how rarely you get to see or talk to your parents and siblings, come what may every Sunday night we’re going to gather to share a meal together and catch up on what we’ve missed out in the past seven days.
This week’s Sunday Dinner is devoted to getting a quick meal on the table for busy moms after the work and school day is over. The dish I chose isn’t the most nutritious but it’s definitely tasty and something that most kids will gladly eat. I love The Kitchn’s blog and a few weeks ago, it featured a no-roux stovetop mac ‘n cheese dish. That’s what I decided to make, with a few modifications. This is one of the Husband’s favourite meals. If there’s mac ‘n cheese on a restaurant menu, he’s going to order it. In fact, he asks that I make it every year on his birthday (we truly keep it classy up in this joint).
Stove-top mac ‘n cheese (with wieners)
Serves 4 to 6
1 pound pasta, any shape – I used 3 cups of macaroni
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ stick butter
1 ¼ cup extra aged cheddar
1 ¼ cup mozzarella + more for sprinkling on top (you can add more or less cheese, depending on how cheesy you want this dish to be)
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cayenne
2 weiners diced and sauteed (I used Harvest wieners, the Husband’s favourite)
¼ cup chopped green onion or chives
I always prep everything before I start cooking – it’s much quicker that way. There’s nothing more annoying than having to stop what you’re doing at the stove top in order to chop something up or measure out an ingredient.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Salt it and add your pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain the pasta. I always run cold water over it so that it doesn’t continue cooking.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour on top and whisk quickly to make a paste. Add the ground mustard, nutmeg, ground cayenne, salt and pepper. Keep whisking. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking the entire time you’re pouring. You want to make sure that you get rid of the lumps so that it’s a smooth sauce. Keep whisking over medium to medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a slow boil and is thickening to the consistency of heavy cream. This will take up to five minutes. Work those arm muscles, people!
Turn the heat down low and add in your grated cheese. I usually buy chunks of cheese and grate it myself (it’s cheaper and fresher). To really cut down on time, however, you can buy the pre-grated cheese. And you can use any kind of cheese you want in whatever amount you want. This is a very forgiving and adaptable recipe. Stir until the cheese has melted. You can taste the mixture at this point and add more salt/pepper to your liking.

Place your pasta in your serving container. Add half the sauce and stir to coat the pasta evenly. Add in the sausage, green onion and the rest of the sauce. Stir until everything is mixed evenly.

If you have time, you can sprinkle the top with more cheese and place it in the oven for that incredibly delicious crispy golden crust. You can also combine bread crumbs with melted butter and put that on top too before baking (I didn’t bother with that step, although it is pretty tasty).
It is so easy making mac ‘n cheese at home. The beauty is that you can add in whatever you want – bacon, sausage, tofu, peas, caramelized onion, mushrooms, cauliflower etc. Sneaking in veggies is an excellent way to trick your kids into eating the good stuff, without them even knowing (or caring) that it’s there! Or you can go simple and omit everything except the cheese sauce and pasta.
Because I felt this was a bit over-indulgent, I paired it with a simple but super tasty salad made with fresh cherry tomatoes from my mom’s garden and a diced up avocado drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.
Not even the pickiest kid can resist this glorious dish!
Make sure to check out all these other fantastic recipes posted by my Sunday Supper family:
Greek Dogs by Supper For a Steal
Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli by Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad by Magnolia Days
Double Duty Fajita Chicken: Nachos Supreme and Enchiladas by Doggie at the Dinner Table
Zucchini, Corn and Bacon Crepes by Vintage Kitchen
Oregon Shrimp Quesadillas by Pescetarian Journal
Korean omelet rice by Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Lemon Dillled Salmon Croquette Burgers by Granny’s Down Home Southern Cooking
Gluten Free Pepper Steak with Rice by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Crispy Ravioli in Cherry Tomato Sauce by Shockingly Delicious
BLT Soup by Meal Planning Magic
Korean Pan-Fried Fish by Kimchi Mom
Deconstructed Enchiladas by In the Kitchen with KP
Croque Monsieurs by Juanita’s Cocina
Summer Squash and Mushroom Quesadillas by Chocolate Moosey
Seared Lamb on a bed of Mashed potatoes with Artichoke Hearts by Cooking Underwriter
Pasta with Creamy Kale Pesto by Webicurean
Baked Spanish Tortilla by Happy Baking Days
Grilled Chicken Caesar Pizza by In the Kitchen with Audrey
Whole Wheat Pasta with Swiss Chard and White Beans by The Lemon Bowl
Tomato Pie by My Catholic Kitchen
Shredded Chicken in Peanut Sauce Tacos w/ Corn & Zucchini Sauté by GirliChef
Tomatillo Chicken Stew by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Pollo a la Crema by La Cocina de Leslie
Baked Tilapia Fish Tacos by Home Cooking Memories
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken with a Yogurt Dill sauce and a Greek Salad by Noshing with the Nolands
Wagon Wheel Pasta with Pancetta & Peas by Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
Lemon & Dill Shrimp Pasta w/ Oven Roast Corn by Mama, Mommy, Mom
Ricotta – Tofu Tomato Toasts by Yummy Smells
One Pot Spicy Asian Chicken and Rice by Hezzi D
Turkey Italian Brown Rice Casserole by Momma’s Meals
Flatbread Pizza with Cilantro Garlic Sauce by Mom’s Test Kitchen
Kung Pao Shrimp by Mangoes and Chutney
Cashew Chicken Stir-fry by Diabetic Foodie
Chicken Bacon Avocado Quesadillas by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Roasted Butternut Lo Mein by The Meltaways
Potluck Casserole with Cornbread Stuffing by Cindy’s Recipes & Writings
Jerk Chicken Chili by Mrs. Mama Hen
Loaded Chicken and Steak Stuffed Potatoes by Big Bears Wife
Steamed Tofu Serve with Fried Mix Vegetables by My Trials in the Kitchen
Pasta with sausage and cherry tomatoes by Tora’s Real Food
Chicken Ravioli with Peas and Bacon by Daddy Knows Less
Chorizo Tomato Pasta with a Creamy Sauce by Avocado Pesto
Quick N Easy Thai Coconut Shrimp Stir Fry by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Whole Wheat Pizza with Hummus & Fresh Greens by Family Spice
Speedy ‘n Spicy Shrimp Pasta by The Weekend Gourmet
End of Summer Grilled Peach and Chicken Salad by Sustainable Dad
Teriyaki Tuna Bowl by Family Foodie
Weeknight Stir Fry by From Fast Food to Fresh Food
Baked Egg with Mushrooms and Bacon by Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
Taco Bake by Daily Dish Recipes
Fried Rice and Black Beans by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Chicken with Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bow Ties by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Pasta in Tomato sauce and turkey meatballs by Basic & Delicious
Pasta Primavera by Midlife Road Trip
Tots Your Tots Will Love by The Hand that Rocks the Ladle
Please be sure you join us on Twitter throughout the day on Sunday. We’ll be meeting up at 7:00 p.m. EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat where we’ll talk about Back to School Meals and ways to make meal time easier!
All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, or you can follow us through TweetChat! We’ll be sharing great recipes and tips all afternoon, and we’ll be talking all things Back to School Meals during our chat!
We’d also love to feature your Back to School Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers!
What a fabulous post and I’m so excited to check out some other recipes too!
What a very pretty little dish! Your photos are lovely! I’m so glad you’re part of the Sunday Supper group, it’s a great group of people 🙂
Yum looks great!!
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