Like most children…my grandchildren love baked macaroni and cheese. It’s one of their favorite things to eat. With that said, they like a creamy Mac and Cheese with no fancy things tossed into it. When I make baked Macaroni and Cheese I like to use 3-4 different cheeses and I cook my sauce until it has thickened before incorporating it in with the pasta. A cheese combination that we like is Cheddar, American, Mozarella and Velveeta. You can use whatever you have on hand.
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Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
1 package (1 lb. box) Pasta Elbows, uncooked
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
salt and ground black pepper to taste
5 cups of milk
3 cups (16 oz.) shredded cheese
1 cup Velvetta cheese
seasoned dried bread crumbs
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Blend in the all-purpose flour, salt and ground black pepper; gradually stir in the milk. Cook constantly until the sauce begins to thicken and mixture begins to boil. Slowly add in all of the cheese, stir until all of the cheese has melted. (I found it best to use a nonstick silicone spatula for stirring the cheese). In a 3 quart casserole dish, stir together the cooked pasta with the cheese sauce.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven and sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs on top. Place back into the oven for additional 5 minutes. If you like an extra-crispy top…you can bake for up to 10 additional minutes. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes on the stove-top before serving.
The kids like it served exactly as-is. My husband likes to have stewed tomatoes served over-the-top of his.
