Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
Hello Again!
Time for another delicious recipe from my repertoire. We hosted a dinner party this weekend at my house and I made one of my most popular recipes, macaroni and cheese from scratch! This simple recipe is always a crowd pleaser and can be modified so many ways. Enjoy!
Ingredients
8 oz. elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked (You can use whatever type of pasta you want!)
1 lb. finely shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C. flour
2 C. milk
1 C. breadcrumbs, panko or regular
1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Paprika
1 Tbsp. Onion powder
Optional: truffle oil, pancetta, whatever additions you want to add!
Instructions
Add the butter to a large saucepan and melt completely. Slowly add in the flour (about a tablespoon at a time) and mix thoroughly before adding more. This will make a paste- like mixture called a roux. Add in the milk slowly at first, making sure it is mixed thoroughly with the roux until all the milk is in the saucepan.
Cook the pasta while you are doing this. Add all but 1/2 C. of the cheese, the spices, garlic. Mix thoroughly until the cheese has all melted. Add in the additions you want to make and take off the heat (it is prone to burn on the bottom).
Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare a casserole dish with half the breadcrumbs and half the cheese in the bottom of the dish. Drain the pasta and put it back in the stock pot. Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and stir well. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish and top with the remaining breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese melts and the breadcrumbs brown.
The baking step can be skipped if you want to prepare this dish in advance. For this, don't add the breadcrumbs and cheese to the top of the dish. Cover with aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add the cheese and breadcrumbs when ready to heat. Enjoy!
Hope you enjoy one of my all time favorite recipes! Let me know if you make this dish and if you add anything unique to your version. Have a great week and lookout for my second T10T post tomorrow!
