Mama C's Mac and Cheese

There's something about noodles covered in cheese. So simple, and yet so amazing.

My mom makes the best mac and cheese in the world. No, this isn't it. She takes the boxed stuff and makes it up juuust right, and it tastes like magic. To this day, I have no idea how she does it. No, this is my friend's mom's recipe, aka Mama Colegrove.

Mmmm, baby swiss.

Now, homemade macaroni was kind of a foreign concept to me not too long ago. It seemed mushy and weird and more appropriate for a church potluck than MY kitchen table. No thank you, I'm a baker, not a grandma.

Boy was I wrong. I finally discovered the magic that is homemade mac and cheese about a year and a half ago, and it changed my life. Well, as much as a baked pasta can change a life. It wasgooey but not mushy, cheesey but not goopey, everything that Mac and cheese should be. And yes, good enough for MY kitchen table.

So now I'm a macaroni maker. As usual, this is a "close enough" recipe. There's no set amount of anything, and no set kind of cheese. I have my favorites, such as I always use cream cheese, cheddar (or something similarly sharp) and something more mild. I have a favorite baby Swiss from Ohio and I've noticed the more of it I pop in, the better the mac is. But in general, I toss in whatever I have, handfulls at a time.

Right as I took this picture, a huge bubble of air leaked out and it "sighed." Sounded like a creepy Dr Who character was stuck inside!

Macaroni is magic, there's no other way of saying it. For any of my fellow macaroni doubters, go for it, it'll be worth it. Even if you're not a stellar baker, I promise you can handle this, and it tastes like crack. In fact, I might have to make some more tonight.

Wait, what does crack taste like?


Mac and Cheese

One box (16 oz) macaroni, cooked and drained
3ish tbs butter
3ish tbs flour
2ish cups milk
Cheese! (I always use cream cheese and cheddar, anything else is whatever you like or have on hand. You'll need a lot, at least a few cups)
Seasoned bread crumbs (Don't skip them! They're the best part!)

In an oven proof casserole, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, and quickly mix into a paste. Gradually add milk, stir until flour dissolves and mixture thickens slightly. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in cooked macaroni, and salt and pepper to taste. Top with bread crumbs.
Cover, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.