Mac & Cheese anathema

I don't have family here, but don't other people bring food? In my family it was an expectation that everyone brought a side dish. If the main dishes weren't good, someone's sides would be good enough

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I don't have family here, but don't other people bring food? In my family it was an expectation that everyone brought a side dish. If the main dishes weren't good, someone's sides would be good enough

Huh.  I know what you mean.  It's common back home.  But it never occurred to me here.  Now I don't know if it's expected, or if it's thought of as weird, or where it falls in the social norms.  I would feel weird bringing food to their house, though.  I am pretty sure it's not a thing in my husband's family, at least.

Yeah I asked if they had pitch-ins at work and they looked at me like I had three heads. They said they call them buffets over here but that they didn't have them at work.

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I really really did luck out because my SIL does make an amazing roast! And she knows how to host! And there is ALWAYS Prosecco at the ready hahha

Prosecco

I saw in the Martin Lewis email that you can get 6 bottles of Prosecco for 20gbp at Lidl this weekend. 

I saw in the Martin Lewis email that you can get 6 bottles of Prosecco for 20gbp at Lidl this weekend. 

Dude, Lidl's is AMAZING! I LOVE their Prosecco and their Champagne is literally the best I've ever had! And the bread...I cannot go in there, catch a whiff of the bread-smells, and NOT buy something! Their prices are amazing (there is one in my village within a 10 minute walk of me), the only problem is I find it's very limited with what they have and don't have. I do like that a chunk of the stock changes though to different themes each week.

Ducks and hides, but I've never understood why people like boxed mac 'n' cheese. It smells like sweaty shoes to me.   I really don't even like the Annie's version.  It wasn't a thing we ever had growing up except for say when we had a babysitter, because my Mom didn't like it either and she makes a mac 'n' cheese to die for.  I didn't even like the boxed version as a kid. Or spaghetti-o's. 

You can make a lot of things dairy free, but macaroni cheese is not something that comes out very nice.  So I've not had it forever since my hubby can't have dairy.  I do love it, served up with a plate of chips. Proper Scottish.   

In fairness, I love a proper baked mac and cheese! I am just too lazy to make it more often than not! haha Boxed mac isn't even remotely the same as a nicely baked one, but it was more my comfort food for when I was feeling crappy. You know when you just feel crap and you want to eat something crap?? I never at boxed mac and obscene amount but I know when I was a teenager and my parents were out for an event or something, it was my "go-to easy to make myself while also being lazy" meal so it has a nostalgic factor for me more than tasting amazing. I do think Annie's white cheese shells can be AMAZING though if you also add seasoning to your taste

My favourite is making baked buffalo chicken mac and cheese but that's a massive rare one because it takes an additional step of making the chicken too hahaha

My favourite is making baked buffalo chicken mac and cheese but that's a massive rare one because it takes an additional step of making the chicken too hahaha

Ohh my goodness, this sounds divine and something that even my picky husband would like!

Ohh my goodness, this sounds divine and something that even my picky husband would like!

If you like mac and cheese and buffalo chicken, you will LOVE it

If you like mac and cheese and buffalo chicken, you will LOVE it

Yes, I do! Would you mind sharing the recipe?

Yes, I do! Would you mind sharing the recipe?

I've always just kind of winged it by using a normal baked mac & cheese recipe as the basis but I do think I have one written down. Funnily enough, I'm organising (and digitising) all my paper recipes as we speak (have slowly been getting them organised). If I come across it, I will post for you! If not, I'll try to share the mac and cheese recipe I use as the base and give you the rough guidelines.

Recently, our local Asda (and others in the midlands) have been stocking proper Kraft Dinner, in the blue box for £1.  Caution, use more than the 125mL of milk the recipe calls for, or else you'll have pasta with cheesy cement.

The other stuff they stock is called "Cheesey Pasta" (yes, the spelling is incorrect).  It's made by Kraft, but it is more akin to the cheaper supermarket-brand Mac & Cheese you'd find in the states.

Aldi currently has fancy mac and cheese for Christmas. It's premade and frozen, but it sounded luxurious. I got a smoked salmon kind.


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