Wasabi Macaroni and Cheese ala George

My husband has NEVER cooked from a recipe. He called me at work and asked what I wanted for dinner, I obviously responded macaroni and cheese.  Expecting kraft, or better yet, a frozen macaroni and cheese, I was so surprised to come home to find every plate, spice, pan, and refrigerated condiment out on display on our kitchen counter. 

Clearly they were all necessary. 

Georgey-poo had actually found a recipe, not in the massive number of cook books I directed him to, but on the food network’s website.  

First, he prepared the ingredients for the cheese sauce.

Next, he added the noodles to the prepared cheesey goodness.

 

Now we are ready to brown the bread crumbs, or uh hum, the panko crumbs since hubby-hubs could not find the bread...

Almost ready to bake but first, more cheese.

Bake until golden and then voilà!

       

He made a delightfully bold, cheesy and tangy dish.  As it turns out, the recipe called for powdered mustard but since we did not have any, and a trip to the grocery store was clearly out of the question, Georgelicious substituted it for wasabi powder. Surprisingly, this gave it a nice edgy taste that blended well with the other flavors.  

After helping myself to seconds, ... and thirds, I admit that his mac and cheese rocked. Nice work sweet cheeks! 

Mac and cheese diner with a vegan option? Yes, please!

A restaurant that only serves macaroni and cheese and is mere steps from my office in gorgeous downtown Los Angeles is a must stop for me. mac & cheeza had a terrific variety and I loved that you could mix a plethora of vegetables with meats. In fact, they even had a soy based cheese sauce. I was not daring enough to give it a try but it is vegan so it is a great option for my darling vegans out there.   

In true loyalty to my Mexican heritage, I ordered the tomato, jalapeno, chorizo, with a cheese blend topper - never really figured out what the "cheese blend topper" consists of. I loved the jalapenos, they added just the right amount of pizzazz.  I split this with my fellow Mexican American co-worker Rita who thought the jalapenos were a bit too spicy. To that I say, grow some cojones.  

To be healthy, we also shared a mushroom, vege sausage, and a spicy toasted walnuts topper mac and cheese.  

With a dash of Tapatio, this dish became a magical experience.