Faith, Loss, and Healing Through Mac and Cheese
As part of our 2026 Synod Assembly under the theme Rooted in God’s Story, we are creating a community recipe book — Rooted at the Table. Submit your recipe by Friday, May 1, 2026, and learn more here.
Submitted by Patsy Lucille Blankenship (Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, Goodyear
This mac and cheese recipe is deeply personal—a reflection of grief, faith, and resilience.
Created in honor of a beloved uncle, this dish became a way of processing loss and caring for others. Through moments of heartbreak, the act of cooking became a way to share faith and comfort.
This recipe reminds us that the table can be a place of healing—and that even in hardship, we are not alone.
The Father, the Son, and the Cheddar Spirit
Ingredients
1 medium bottle of heavy whipping cream
1 box of macaroni noodles
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp of Season Salt
2 tbsp of Garlic Powder
2 tbsp of Salt
2 tbsp of Pepper
2 tbsp of Onion powder
Instructions
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step 2 - Boil water on high heat
Step 3 - Pour noodles into boiled water; cook until softened
Step 4 - Drain noodles and let cool for 2-3 minutes
Step 5 - Pour half of the heavy whipping cream into pot with noodles and mix.
Step 6 - Add Season Salt, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, and Onion powder to pot and stir.
Step 7 - Pour the whole bag of shredded cheddar cheese and a quarter of mozzarella cheese into pot with noodles and heavy whipping cream.
Step 8 - Add rest of heavy whipping cream to pot with noodles, heavy whipping cream, and cheese. And stir
Step 9 - Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and pour mac and cheese into the pan;Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top until covered.
Step 10 - Put mac and cheese in oven and set a timer for 30 minutes.
Step 11 - Take out mac and cheese let cool for 2 minutes and Enjoy!
Story
Ever since I can remember me and my uncle chris have shared a love for believe it or not ... onions.So then I thought what can we do with our love for onions that isn't just bland and kinda there, what then came to my mind is mac and cheese.My uncle Chris was a very strong believer in the jewish religion, also did not have any easy childhood, he dealt with divorce and mental health issues.Now being a 13 year old I didn't quit understand all of it yet.However I did know he was worth trying for.My uncle Chris passed away on March 17th of 2025.Throughout this difficult period I tried to comfort others through sharing faith and Jesus.At the funeral luncheon 2 of his family members brought mac and cheese.My eyes lit up when I saw 2 giant trays of ooey gooey goodness.That is when I made my mac and cheese recipe.To honor my love for uncle Chris, god, and ironically food.So I try to help other's when they are struggling, to share that even though you may not see someone is struggling, they could be.I deeply care about mental health as someone who at times has struggled themselve.My grandma Diane passed away August 15th 2025.Then I hit rock bottom questioning ' why is everyone dying?'.Even in trouble I found a safe house in my faith.
