- 1
- 40 mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, shells or cavatappi
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk (not skim)
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 2 cups of shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar and Swiss)
Preparation
Step 1
But I can also guess you don’t know many other alternatives. Sure, you can get a box of Velveeta and melt that over some noodles. That works too…I love Velveeta. But if you’re looking for the real deal, the old school, the way your grandma might have made it–this is it.
And just so you know, aside from the baking, this dish took 15 minutes and only two pans to make.
One for boiling the pasta
for the sauce and the baking, cutting down on dishes. Since I don’t have a dishwasher. But don’t get me started on that again. You CAN make this on a week night.
This baked macaroni and cheese may be the most versatile dish ever. Add in some red pepper for kick, any cheeses you like (Fontina is glorious in here), add veggies like broccoli and chopped chicken and it’s a one-dish meal even. Or BACON. Hello. Yeah. Make some garlic bread crumbs for the top if you want some crunch and throw those on. It’s really endless. I hope you can use this basic dish in a ton of ways. Around here, it’s sharp cheddar and Swiss.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a pot of water to a boil; add a generous sprinkling of salt the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a skillet or pot large enough to hold the pasta when it's done.
Add the flour and stir over medium heat until the mixture is lightly browned; 1-2 minutes.
Add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps and add the salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble. About 6 minutes.
Stir in the cheese and whisk until smooth and melted. Turn off the heat.
When the pasta is almost done but still firm, drain it and add to the sauce.
Stir the pasta into the sauce and bake in a greased 2 quart dish (or an 8x8 pan works pretty well) 40-45 minutes until browned and bubbly.
The thinner the dish, the less the bake time. I used a cast iron skillet and mine was done in 25 minutes. A thicker dish like a 2 quart casserole will take 40 minutes.
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Stuff you can find in any grocery store and won't need hours to make.
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Yes you can cook and still have time to put your feet up.
Stuff you can find in any grocery store and won't need hours to make.
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