Do you ever do stuff just because you know that it’s going to make you feel good? Like I know that it’s not really something I should be spending my money on but I love to get my nail done. It’s just something that I’ve always loved, well I take that back…I don’t love getting them done, I love it once they’re done. haha. I actually hate sitting there and waiting on my nails to be finished but I love the final results.
Yesterday I took some time for me, it’s something that I rarely do. I always end up feeling guilty for taking the time or spending the money on things that make me feel good. What an odd way to be, right? However yesterday I powered through my normal guilt and I went out and got my nails done. After that I had my eye brows waxed so that my eyebrows looks like eyebrows instead of little caterpillars and I invested in a $10 box of hair dye.
My super dark hair is now a redish brown, my nails are greenish teal and silver and my eyebrows look fabulous. haha. I still have guilt today over pampering myself yesterday but I have to admit that I feel a lot better about myself today than I did the day before yesterday.
Isn’t it amazing how a few simple beauty steps can make you feel so much better about yourself?
So I’ve been going back and re-doing photos of some pretty popular recipes on the site and this Beer Macaroni and Cheese is one of them.
Back in 2011 I was a member of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE that Tina from Moms Crazy Cooking hosted. In September of 2011 the theme of the cooking challenge was Macaroni & Cheese. We went on the hunt for the best mac and cheese recipes and that’s when I found a Beer Macaroni and Cheese Recipe on Jessica’s Super Sweet Blog, How Sweet It Is!
Beer Macaroni and Cheese
Beer Macaroni and Cheese
Bowtie Pasta that's tossed with a creamy beer cheese sauce and then baked until golden brown and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 4 cups uncooked pasta (I used Tiny Tiny Bow Pasta)
- 14 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped into bacon bits
- 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 24 ounces shredded cheddar cheese or Colby jack cheese
- 12 ounces of bud light (or your favorite beer)
- 2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Dried Parsley for sprinkling on top if desired
Instructions
- Cook Bacon, Drain Bacon Fat, and Chop into bacon Bits. Set Aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Cook pasta according to directions on box until just al dente. Drain and Set aside. (Pasta will finish cooking in the oven)
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter is melted whisk in flour
- Cook until the mixture is bubbly and golden in color, should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Add milk and beer into the saucepan. Whisk the mixture while adding the milk and beer.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted.
- To thicken the cheese sauce a bit, I let the mixture come to a low boil and while stirring it every so often, I let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in pepper & paprika.
- Add the cooked noodles to a casserole dish.
- Pour cheese over the noodles and stir to combine.
- Once all noodles are coated, sprinkle in the bacon and stir.
- Top the cheesy noodles with bread crumbs.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 375F.
- Once Cooked, Remove from oven, Sprinkle Top of the Beer Macaroni and Cheese with any leftover bacon and sprinkle with dried parsley.
Carb Lover? Pasta Lover? My top 3 favorites pasta recipes on BigBearsWife.com
Spaghetti Carbonara
Cheesy Chicken & Sausage Pasta
Sausage and Spinach Alfredo
This looks so flippin’ flavorful! I love how you re-did this recipe with new photos. I really need to do this with a zillion of my older posts. Your new photos make me so hungry!
YAY! I’m so glad that you liked the photos! I need to re-do a lot of them but whoo wee it takes forever haha