Homemade Macaroni & Cheese - Under $3!

Here is another thrifty meal my girls absolutely love.  And depending on how much you can save on the ingredients it is super inexpensive.  The nice thing about mac & cheese is that it is so versatile, you can really change it up and really make it interesting.  Plus!  Homemade is always so much better than the stuff in the box.  This particular night I added chipotle sauce and spiced it up a bit.

I prepared a bag of pasta, this was raditore that was purchased at Winco for 79¢, then drained it.  In the same pot I put in 3 cups of milk (88¢ for half a gallon) and whisked in 3 tablespoons of flour and let that thicken and cool for a couple minutes.  I seasoned it with salt and pepper, then added a cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese.  I purchased the cheese on sale and with a coupon.  To add a little spice I stirred in two tablespoons of chipotle sauce (leftover from a jar of peppers) and four thinly sliced all beef hotdogs (pkg of 8 on markdown $1.25).  Then added the pasta.

It comes together super quick and the girls enjoy it so much there is only leftovers for about one more meal.  I usually serve it up with a salad, green beans or buttered peas or broccoli to round out the meal.  Final tally for this particular dish that night came in at - cheese 73¢, milk 33¢, pasta 79¢, flour, salt, pepper & chipotle sauce a few pennies, hotdogs 63¢ = $2.48!