When my kids were young, they loved this recipe more than any other and would have eaten it several times a week if I would have let them. This is still a comfort food that I make often. A new twist: Make this the base of your "grain" bowl and pile it high with sautéed veggies. Sometimes goodness keeps finding a way, even as everything else changes.
Makes 4 large servings. I often double to have leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni. Feel free to shake it up with penne or ziti or whole wheat pasta. I have used all, at times, with success.
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper, the better in our book)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain.
- In the same warm pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
- Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.
- Gently stir pasta into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole dish. You can make ahead to this point and then refrigerate.
- Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.
