This recipe is super awesome because you can either eat it straight out of the pot, all ooey gooey, or you can bake it in the oven for a delicious crunchy top.
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (warm it up in the microwave 1 minute)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use Beecher's Flagship!)
8 oz. pasta (I prefer penne or cavatappi)
Cook and drain pasta. Melt butter over low heat, gradually add flour, whisking until smooth. Keep whisking and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium and gradually add milk. Cook until it's bubbly. Keep whisking. Add salt (or use salted butter and save a step) and cheese. Whisk until cheese melts.
At this point, you can add the pasta directly to the saucepan and eat it. If you have time, make it extra delicious by baking it. Put in a pan (I use a 8x8 but a 11x7 would work too) and cover with bread crumbs. (I use Japanese panko...you can find them in the Asian section of the grocery store.) Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Yum, yum, yummy!
Now THAT's what I call comfort food.
Posted by: Diane Mandy | Tuesday, 29 January 2008 at 04:11 AM
that sounds delicious. I'm glad you can cook something without nuts in it.
Posted by: kirk | Tuesday, 29 January 2008 at 07:33 AM
I live waaaaay too far from you.
Posted by: Pants | Tuesday, 29 January 2008 at 09:00 AM
The bread crumbs really make this complete. What brand of pasta? Speaking of pasta and dishes....
Posted by: egan | Tuesday, 29 January 2008 at 09:35 AM
This is what I want for dinner now. Why are you doing this to me? Comfort foods sound so yummy! But I have no fridge right now, which means no milk or shredded cheese. Le sigh.
Posted by: CAPTCHA is my bi-atch | Tuesday, 29 January 2008 at 02:46 PM
This definitely looks tasty. I'm going to try it. What's with all the cooking? Are you going for wife of the year? Thank God I'm not married - you would beat me for sure. I made tuna sandwiches and cut up some pears and am still waiting for my medal of honor.
Posted by: amieable | Wednesday, 30 January 2008 at 03:26 PM
Honestly, we eat out most nights. I only cook when I'm craving something like jeans that don't fit and a gut. I mean, Jack Daniel Blondies and Mac N Cheese.
Posted by: sprizee | Wednesday, 30 January 2008 at 03:29 PM
This looks amazing. I love Beecher's cheese.
Posted by: Anticiplate | Thursday, 31 January 2008 at 09:34 AM
Cavatappi does indeed make killer mac and cheese.
Posted by: Tiffany | Wednesday, 13 February 2008 at 12:10 PM