I want to lather my skin, drown my face, straight up LIVE in this bowl of mac and cheese.

There’s nothing healthy about mac and cheese, so let’s not even pretend, mmm k.  Pasta, butter, cheese: healthy? Riiiiiight.  Even if you use whole wheat noodles and low fat cheese it’s still not healthy.  It’s just less bad. Don’t confuse the two.

But, there’s something to be said for the health of my soul.  Sometimes my soul, my mental health just needs comfort.  And sometimes, I find that in food.

 

 

In a big ol’ bowl of simple, pure, unadulterated macaroni and cheese.

There’s a bazillion and one macaroni and cheese recipes out there so I’m not going to pretend this one is any better than the one your grandma has been making for every family gathering since before the dinosaurs roamed the earth.  But, my grandmother doesn’t cook and my mom well, she cooks, but um, it’s nothing to write home about (sorry mom, just cuz ya add Costco pesto to everything doesn’t mean you’re a gourmet), so my repertoire of classic family recipes is something I have to create myself.  If I can pass on some basic, but delicious, everyday recipes to my kids, that would make me happy.

 

 

Try this macaroni and cheese, you’ll love it.  You can eat it straight outta the pot, toss it in a baking dish and bake it, or even freeze it and bake it for a later time.  It’s super versatile, which is yet another reason I love it.

 

Notes:

Leftovers: Leftovers will keep for a week or so and can just be reheated in the microwave. Add a touch of milk if the saucy isn’t sauce-y enough for you.

Freezing: Pour the prepared macaroni and cheese into a freezer and oven safe dish. Make sure the pasta is cool, then cover with foil then plastic wrap.  Freeze.  To cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Remove the plastic wrap from the dish and place the frozen macaroni and cheese in the oven.  Bake for about 45 minutes, remove the tin foil, stir, and bake for another 15-20 minutes.  Until the edges are starting to bubble a little.  Serve immediately.

 

Print
Everyday Macaroni and Cheese

Everyday Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 pound macaroni noodles (or any other noodle you like)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups gruyere (or any other sharp cheese you like)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and spoon full of salt (the salt helps season the noodles). Cook until the pasta is al dente (cook time depends on the noodle you chose). Drain the noodles and set aside.

When the pasta is done, prepare the cheese sauce (using the same pot you boiled the pasta in).

Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat, and whisk in the flour. Slowly pour in 1 1/2 cups of milk, whisking the entire time until it becomes thicker and all lumps are gone (about 3-4 minutes).

Turn the heat to low and start mixing in the cheese, 1 handful at a time. I use a wooden spoon to mix in the cheese. Stir in the salt, pepper, ground mustard and nutmeg. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Taste the sauce and add more seasonings as desired.

Dump the cooked pasta into the large pot of cheese sauce and stir to coat the pasta evenly.

Serve immediately.

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