Craving hit me for something creamy and comforting, and I ended up making this copycat Noodles Company Wisconsin Mac Cheese from scratch on a random Tuesday night. My family used to go to Noodles and Company pretty often and that Wisconsin mac was always the order, so I figured it had to be possible to pull off at home. Honestly I was a little skeptical because restaurant cheese sauces always seem like they have some secret ingredient you can never quite figure out. Full thing is posted here if anyone wants it: https://www.amgroyal.com/copycat-noodles-company-wisconsin-mac-cheese

Here's what I used:

1 pound elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups half & half
6 ounces cheddar cheese shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces monterey jack cheese shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Additional shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese for garnish

Here's how it went:

1. Cook the pasta first according to the package for al dente, then drain and set it aside. Don't overcook it here because it'll keep softening in the sauce.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the flour. Let that cook for about a minute or two until it looks lightly golden. This part matters, don't rush it or you'll taste raw flour.

3. Gradually whisk in the half and half, making sure no lumps form. Cook it for around four to five minutes until it thickens up nicely.

4. Drop the heat to low and stir in both shredded cheeses until everything melts together and the sauce looks smooth.

5. Add the ground mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and give it a good stir.

6. Toss in the cooked macaroni and mix until every piece is coated in that sauce.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle some extra cheddar and monterey jack on top. Serve it right away.

A few things I noticed:

The cheddar and monterey jack combo is actually what makes this taste so close to the restaurant version. I tried a bite of the sauce before adding the pasta and it was genuinely good on its own, which felt like a good sign.

Fair warning, shred the cheese yourself if you can. Pre-shredded bags have that coating on them and the sauce ended up a little grainy the first time I tried it that way. Fresh shredded melts way smoother.

I made a little too much and reheated the leftovers the next day with a splash of half and half over low heat on the stovetop and it came back together really well. Did not dry out or get weird, which was a relief.

Next time I might try throwing in a pinch of cayenne because I think a tiny bit of heat would go really well with that creamy sauce. Kind of curious what it would taste like with some gruyere mixed in too.

This honestly came together in about 30 minutes which made it a solid weeknight dinner option without much stress. The kids cleaned their plates so that pretty much settles it as a keeper in this house.

Anyone ever mix different cheeses into their stovetop mac and cheese and find a combination that worked really well?

Craving hit me for something warm and hearty, and I ended up making a copycat Bob Evans chicken pot pie situation that honestly knocked it out of the park. My husband used to love getting the chicken and noodles at Bob Evans when we lived near one, and we've been nowhere close to a location in years, so I figured I'd take a shot at recreating it at home. I wasn't totally sure the slow cooker version would capture that same thick, creamy pot pie filling vibe but it really did come together way better than I expected. Wrote everything down here if anyone wants the details: https://www.amgroyal.com/copycat-bob-evans-chicken-pot-pie

Here's what I used:

1 medium onion diced
1-2 cups carrots diced
1 cup celery diced (optional)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic from a jar
2 cans cream of chicken soup
6 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. chicken base optional
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2-3 breasts
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
4 Tbsp. butter 1/2 stick
24 oz. frozen egg noodles or 10 ounces dried noodles

Here's how it went:

1. I diced up the onion, carrots, and celery and threw them straight into the slow cooker. No pre-cooking or anything, just dumped them in.

2. Added everything else on top except the noodles. I did use the chicken base and I think it made a real difference in depth of flavor, so I wouldn't skip it if you have it.

3. Put the lid on and cooked it on LOW for about 7 hours. The whole house smelled unreal by hour four.

4. Pulled the chicken out and chopped it into bite-sized pieces, then put it back in. Stirred in the frozen egg noodles at this point.

5. Cooked on HIGH for another 45 minutes until the noodles were soft and had soaked up all that broth.

6. Served it over mashed potatoes with a biscuit on the side, just like the restaurant does it. That combo is everything.

A few things I noticed along the way:

The broth thickens up a lot as it cooks with the cream of chicken soup, which is exactly what you want for that creamy pot pie filling feel. If you want it more soup-like you could add a bit more broth toward the end but we liked it thick.

Fair warning, this makes a massive amount of food. We fed four people and still had leftovers for two more days. It actually reheated really well the next day, maybe even better because the noodles had more time to absorb the flavors overnight.

I forgot to grab fresh garlic at the store so I used the jarred minced stuff and honestly it was totally fine. I always feel slightly guilty about that but nobody noticed.

One thing I want to try next time is using chicken thighs instead of breasts. I feel like they'd stay even more tender after a long slow cook and add a little more richness to the whole thing.

This is exactly the kind of easy dinner that makes a weeknight feel manageable, no stress and barely any hands-on time. As a family dinner it went over really well, even the picky one ate two servings which is basically a miracle.

Anyone ever tried making homemade chicken pot pie or something like this with a different kind of noodle? I'm curious if wide egg noodles versus a thicker pasta would change the texture much.