Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Rabe

Over a year ago I attempted to make some stovetop mac & cheese... it was a colossal FAIL. I decided to try another recipe to see if I could conquer the beast, and it fared much better. Probably because I used cheddar rather than American cheese. American is the devil.This time, I tried a new recipe and threw in some cauliflower and broccoli rabe that I'd roasted with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Creamy, rich, and delicious!

Stovetop Mac & Cheese: Partial FAIL

So... Chuck was craving mac & cheese this week, so I thought I would try out this stovetop method I found online. It was super easy- akin to boxed mac & cheese.

Out of laziness I used some American cheese that was in the fridge because I didn't have any cheddar. Bad idea. I thought using American would be fine... not gourmet, for sure, but fine. It was icky, though. Gummy and tasteless.

I think the method would work if I had used nicer cheese, though. I'll try it again some time when I want mac & cheese quickly. If I have more time, though, Ina Garten's baked mac & cheese is fabulous- I made it for Tim's birthday party and it was a hit. I used panko bread crumbs as the topping, and omitted the tomatoes- awesome.