Easy Cheesy Macaroni

For years, I have had a secret love affair with Kraft Dinner. My mom (smartly) refused to serve it, so it was always a treat to go to someone else's house where it was a staple. There's nothing like writing your name in ketchup on those cheesy noodles!

I have however, come a long way with my culinary tastes, and while I'm still a pretty plain food eater, I do love me some cheesy pasta. So, on a wet, cold and awful day, I decided it was about time to learn how to make my own macaroni and cheese. And four cups of pasta and one entire large brick of cheese later, I sat down to some ooey-gooey goodness.

Now, as a new cook, I don't seem to understand recipes very well. Let me save you the trouble here: 4 cups of pasta and an entire large brick of cheese will leave you with enough macaroni to serve an army -- or least two people for five dinners. I will provide the whole recipe here, but you might want to cut it in half for two weeknight meals. I speak from experience.

Either way, the first couple of days we really enjoyed the treat. Certainly a rich and decadent dinner, though!

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dried Macaroni
• 1 egg beaten
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2-½ cups milk
• 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard
• 1 pound grated cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Do not under salt!
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) OR pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

(before baking)

(after baking)

** I much preferred the creamy version before it was baked, but T enjoyed the baked version better. It's nice to try both. You could also add different toppings, such as fresh tomatoes or steamed broccoli
 
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman