Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Easy Mac & Cheese


This recipe has saved me from a lifetime of mediocre homemade macaroni & cheese. All of the recipes I tried previously turned out watery and tasteless in comparison to this. Plus, it's practically as easy as making the stuff from the box! I added in chopped ham and broccoli to make it a whole meal, but this would be great as a side for pulled pork sandwiches or anything else really. I'm so glad I have found a go-to mac & cheese recipe. No more Kraft Mac & Cheese for me!

Easy Mac & Cheese
source: Cate's Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light, May 2007

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups uncooked macaroni
1 cup 1% milk
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
a few grinds of a pepper mill

Directions
Cook pasta in a medium saucepan according to package directions. (I threw in the broccoli for the last few minutes of the pasta-cooking time.)
Transfer to a colander.
In the same saucepan, combine the milk and flour over medium heat, stirring with a whisk.
Cook, stirring constantly until thickened (about 2 minutes).
Add cheese, salt, and pepper, and continue whisking until all the cheese is melted.
Turn off heat, stir in the pasta, and let sit for a few minutes before serving.