85. Macaroni-Mushroom Bake

From 1997 Southern Living Annual Recipes

There are two schools of thought when it comes to baked macaroni and cheese: eggy and creamy. I fall into the eggy category, but this screamed comfort food on a very cold night, so I gave it a try.

Talk about easy to make...and a sure crowd-pleaser. I ate it as a meal, but it would make a great side dish for any kind of meat. It's very rich, from the mayo, and the mushrooms give it a nice texture and twist on a classic dish. Plus, it's well-documented how much I love anything topped with Ritz crackers.

8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup round buttery cracker crumbs

Combine first 7 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish; top with cracker crumbs.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes.