I made homemade macaroni and cheese last night. Usually when I hear 'homemade' I think 'timely' and 'a lot of work', but this meal was real quick and easy (obviously, it's basically cheese and noodles). I decided to add parsnips to the mix because I was reading the new Parent and Child magazine (when I'm bored at work it's good reading) and saw a parsnips recipe along with some fun facts about this vegetable. Personally, I've never eaten a parsnip and rarely hear about them. The guy at the register at Pick n Save didn't even know what to ring them up as, granted he was probably in highschool, but still, they are not a popular purchase. I don't know why though, they are yummy, a good source of fiber and richer in vitamins and minerals than their close relative, the carrot.
So, mac and cheese, parsnips and then Chris threw in some baked chicken because he likes that. My one struggle with cooking thus far is that I am a horrible multi-tasker when it comes to timing things right. I was cutting up the parsnips (which was a bitch, btw), and then I realized I overcooked the noodles. Who does that? In my defense, I haven't cooked elbow macaroni in years. But whatever, the macaroni and cheese was delicious, very cheesy and the bread crumbs really added a nice touch. The parsnips were soooo good. They had a sweet potato consistency.
Mac and Cheese recipe
For the parsnips, I cut up 3, into 2 inch pieces then cut those length-wise. Then I put them in a 13x9 inch pan, poured 2 tbsps of vegetable oil over them so that they were all covered, then added a few tbsp of salt and pepper (however much you want). Then put in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes, take out and mix around, then put back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so. The parsnips should be tough on the outside and soft on the inside, and taste sweet.
Happy eatin'!
