I don't know about you, but my southern heart is so happy any time I even hear the words "macaroni and cheese." I've always been more than a little lazy about making it though. I would basically just make the boxed Kraft macaroni and call it a day. I didn't really want for anything more. But, honey, I didn't know what I was missing.
This macaroni and cheese uses a white sauce and bread crumbs to top it off. Don't skip and don't skimp on the breadcrumbs, they're a total game changer in the macaroni and cheese world they add a delightful little crunch when you take a bite. The change in texture just adds a little bit more pizazz to the already amazing flavor.
This is seriously easy to make though, honestly, maybe even easier than Kraft!
The trick to be mindful of is being of your timing. Which I'm honestly pretty terrible at. I went to make this last night while I was making a bunch of other things and totally forgot I had to pre-cook the macaroni. Which threw my timing off by about 20 minutes (time to boil water + cook the macaroni). So just don't forget about that and you're good to go!
The first step is following the package instructions and cooking the macaroni. Super simple and easy. The recipe calls for large elbow macaroni, which is good because then it looks like what you think macaroni should look like, but we've cooked this with other shapes and sizes and there's no real issue with it. Once the macaroni is done, drain it and set it aside.
While the macaroni is cooking you can start making the wonderful white sauce. The sauce is super easy. Melt some butter, add in 2 cups of milk, salt, a dash of mustard, and some flour and let it sit until it gets nice and thick. Once it's thick then you can add eight ounces of cheese. Stir that until the cheese is all melted, then you're done with the sauce!
I have no idea what dish my Grandmother would make this recipe in, but it must have been on the small side. I've put this in an 8x8x2 casserole every time I've made it and I haven't ever been able to layer the macaroni and sauce like the recipe calls for. Generally I opt to just put the macaroni on the bottom and put the sauce on top.
Once you have the macaroni and sauce in the dish, then all you have to do is top it with the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and stick it in the oven. All it takes is 20 minutes at 350 and you're good to go with a wonderful side dish!
Enjoy it and eat well!
MACARONI AND CHEESE
SERVES: 6 | PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 40 MINUTES
½ lb. of large elbow macaroni 3 Tbsp. margarine 3 Tbsp. flour 2 cups milk 1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. mustard Dash or two of tabasco 8 oz. grated cheddar cheese Buttered breadcrumbs
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cook and drain the macaroni according to package instructions.
2. In a saucepan over low to medium heat, make a white sauce with the ingredients other than the macaroni and the cheese.
3. After the sauce has thickened stir in ½ of the cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese has melted.
4. Layer the macaroni and sauce in a buttered casserole. Sprinkle each layer with remaining cheese. Top with buttered breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 350 degrees until casserole is bubbly and crumbs are lightly brown – about 20 minutes.
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