Macaroni and Cheese – elbow macaroni, a tasty cheese sauce, and some buttered bread crumbs make this comfort food an all-time family favorite. Nothing’s better than homemade Mac & Cheese!
Ok, just a note – this was a very early post from my original 365. My babble here in the post has not been changed, so just skip it and go right to the recipe! 🙂
TADA!
Change is good, right? I thought we needed to update the blog, make it a little cleaner and easier to read.
Besides, I didn’t know what the birds in the upper right-hand corner had to do with baking anyway. Unless it was the egg commonality.
Yeah, no birds. I’d love your feedback – let me know what you think! The criticism I can take. I understand, some people don’t like change and may have a hard time with it. (I already am every time I click on to see it, it freaks me out just a little bit ’cause I’ve forgotten that I’ve done it). And don’t worry, I won’t go changing it every 90 days either.
I had some time on my hands today and as I was hanging Mr. 365’s shirts in the closet, I decided to arrange them in order of color. Is that weird? It’s something I’ve always secretly wanted to do. Like wanting to swing on a trapeze and then do a somersault in the air.
Seriously.
And then after they were all neatly arranged by color, I gathered the sleeves of the shirts as I was taught to do early on in retail. They would all fall the same way and be “just so”. Anal retentive, I know. But with some things, that’s just the way I am.
It’s gotten so that I’ve been having to do a search on my own blog now to see if I’ve already made the recipe or some form of it. 90+ recipes and no duplications. We need to make it 365, and so the challenge continues!
I adapted this recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook, Thirteenth Edition.
Use these items to make your own Macaroni & Cheese: this 8 X 8-inch baking dish, this cookware, and this spatula.
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- ½ lb. elbow macaroni cooked
- Cheese sauce below
- ½ cup finely shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- Buttered breadcrumbs below
Cheese Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 ¾ cups + 2 tablespoons milk heated
- ¾ cup finely shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
Buttered Bread Crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup Panko style bread crumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and prepare an 8 X 8? square baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.
- As the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
- Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown – about 2 minutes.
- Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Lower the heat and stir in the Triple Cheddar Cheese. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Buttered Bread Crumbs
- Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Mix well. Remove from heat.
Assembly
- Put the cooked macaroni into a large bowl and pour the cheese sauce over it.
- Add the Gruyere cheese and mix well together to completely coat.
- Pour into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese over the top and spread the breadcrumbs over the cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
Making a very light roux.
Toasting the bread crumbs!
Shredded Gruyere
Every day I rate what I bake on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best. Over dinner, the family decided that this macaroni and cheese earned 3 rolling pins.
This recipe is a keeper!
Remember, the 100th-day post is coming up and with that will be a giveaway, so keep reading! Happy baking!
If you like this Macaroni and Cheese, you’ll enjoy…
Basic Macaroni Salad
Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni
Sausage Veggie Pasta Salad
Take a look at these videos to make a great Macaroni and Cheese!
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I thank you so very much for your support. Let’s keep having fun in the kitchen!!
Comments & Reviews
Can you come over and organize my closet, too?? LOL
The macaroni looks delicious… there’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of mac and cheese!
You’re funny, Dana! I only organized HIS shirts, didn’t even bother to do my own. After you eat your mac & cheese, tackle it in baby steps. 😉