I've never been a fan of homemade macaroni and cheese and have spent most of my life claiming my love to Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in the blue box. In our quest to give up the majority of processed foods, I've been attempting to find a suitable replacement. Not that this tastes anything like Kraft. But, I like it! I love it, really.
This pic was taken on Layla's second birthday. She also loved the mac and cheese. Kaia doesn't like it because it has tiny, little bitty specs of onions in it. Oh well.
The recipe is easy peasy and most of the time I have all of the ingredients on hand without having to plan ahead. I've made this several times since Layla's birthday and am sure it will be my new go-to macaroni and cheese recipe.
This recipe is from The Joy of Cooking and I love that it can be made ahead of time.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
serves 4-6 main course or 8-10 side dish
The sauce can be made ahead and combined with the just cooked macaroni before baking, or the entire casserole can be assembled a day in advance.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a deep 1.5 quart baking dish. Prepare:
2 cups White Sauce (see recipe below)
Stir in:
1/2 medium onion, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
Simmer gently, stirring often, for 15 minutes. Have ready:
2 1/4 cups grated sharp Cheddar or Colby (9 oz)
Remove the sauce from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in two-thirds of the cheese. Reserve the rest. Season with:
Salt and Black pepper to taste
Meanwhile, cook in a large pot of boiling salted water just until tender:
2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni, small shells, or tubetti
Drain and remove to a large bowl. Stir in the sauce. Pour half of the mixture into the baking dish ans sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese. Top with the rest of the macaroni and then the remaining cheese. Sprinkle over the top:
1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs (see recipe below)
Bake until the bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
White Sauce
(makes 1 cup, so double recipe for macaroni and cheese recipe, above)
Melt in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat:
2 tablespoons butter
Whisk in until well blended and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly wisk in:
1 cup milk
Return the pan to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue to cook, whisking until the sauce is smooth and hot and has thinckened, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with:
Salt and black or white pepper
Grated or ground nutmeg
Browned or Buttered Breadcrumbs
Use dry bread crumbs. Season with salt, allowing 1/2 tsp. for each cup of bread crumbs. Brown them slowly in 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter. Use at once.
