Herbed Macaroni and Cheese

Donnie and I had a day off of work today. We decided to drive down the mountain to Oakhurst to buy a new oven, browse through some of the thrift shops and pick up some groceries. The drive down was a lovely one. The non-coniferous trees are finally setting themselves apart from the endless pines in shades of yellow and orange. Although the colors are nowhere near as vibrant as my home state of Michigan, they remind me of my younger autumns and of course, my mother’s cooking.

My mom is a vegan now, but she use to whip up some amazingly dairy laden dishes. The one I always requested on my birthday was her baked macaroni and cheese. The edges would come out brown and chewy, something you’ll never get from a box. Which is why when Donnie tried to buy some boxed mac and cheese at the grocery store, I cut him a deal: I’d make the real thing if he’d leave that awful stuff on the shelf.

I would have called Mom for her recipe, but just a few weeks ago, I ran across a tasty-sounding version in Sunset Magazine. Although I didn’t have the brie and fresh herbs it called for (or the bacon for that matter), I figured it would still be delicious with some variations. FYI, this dish is pretty heavy, high in calories and carbs. Pair it with a vegetable or salad for some balance, no need for bread or another side.


Herbed Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 4

12 oz. elbow macaroni
3 Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips (or any bacon substitute)
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp each of dried tarragon, basil and rosemary
1 tsp garlic salt
¼ c. green onions, chopped
½ c. cream cheese
¼ c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. Italian breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook macaroni, drain and set aside in another bowl.

While pasta is cooking, fry veggie bacon strips ‘til crisp, then chop into small pieces.


In the warm pasta pot, add whipping cream, cream cheese, half of the shredded cheddar, 2 Tbsp. of the butter, herbs, garlic salt, onions and the bacon strips.

Stir until melted and blended well, then mix with the pasta.

Transfer macaroni and cheese into a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

In small bowl, combine the rest of the melted butter with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle over mac and cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Tips: Any fragrant herbs would be good in this recipe. If you’d like to use fresh ones, use a ¼ cup of each. If you’re willing to shell out the extra bucks for the brie like the original recipe calls for, you can replace a half cup of it for the whipping cream. Also, I used garlic salt to be quick, but fresh garlic and some sea salt would work well.