Homemade Macaroni and Cheese |
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Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This is the Mac and Cheese that I grew up eating. All 4 children in my family learned to make it. I never ate the boxed variety then and I do not now. It is so easy, why not make it from scratch? Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter |
1/4 cup flour |
2 cups milk |
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated |
2 cups noodles, uncooked |
salt (i use about 1/4 t salt) |
pepper |
paprika (optional) |
Directions:
1. For the Cheese Sauce: Melt butter over low heat, add flour and mix well. You are making a roux. Heat over medium low for 2-3 minutes until mixture is frothy (to cook flour). Do not over-cook or it will turn brown.
2. Add milk, mix well to insure no clumps are left. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until sauce gets thick. (I usually microwave the milk for 1-2 minutes. This decreases the time it takes the sauce to thicken up.).
3. Add cheese; stir until all cheese is melted.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. For the Noodles: Start water heating while making sauce. When water boils add 2 C noodles. Follow directions on noodle box to cook noodles.
6. Drain cooked noodles.
7. Combine cooked noodles and cheese sauce in serving dish. Add shake or two of paprika on top of dish for color if desired.
8. Enjoy!
9. You may want to keep the sauce and noodles separate. If this is done, the sauce and noodles can be refrigerated and saved for several days. Simply combine a serving and reheat. This avoids that strange “left-over” taste Mac N’ Cheese usually gets if saved. The sauce also saves quite well if frozen.
10. Alternate Recipe: Dice some ham and add to the dish. This makes it even more of a One-dish meal. Helpful for those (like my husband) who do not think something is a meal unless meat is served!
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