Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food and we are entering the season where there are tons of great comfort food dishes! My mother always made her own macaroni and cheese and I used to love the aroma from the kitchen and that first savory spoonful of cheesy pasta goodness!
A few years back I asked my Mom for her recipe and she said, ” Oh you stir a little of this, a pinch of that, mix real well, and bake.” So, I tried doing exactly what she said. I was so excited to present my family with a comfort food dish from my childhood.
The kitchen timer dings, the macaroni and cheese is done! I opened the oven and I see the dish and it is absolutely pouring out cheese oil. It does not even look close to my Mom’s.
My hubby looks over my shoulder and declares that there is no way he is eating that with so much oil resting on top. It’s just beyond saving, even after blotting it with paper towels. Sigh. I wanted to cry, instead I served PB & J for dinner.
Needless to say, this is not my Mom’s macaroni and cheese (Hi Mom!) but a recipe that I have created out of my girls absolute love for macaroni and cheese!
I also started out doing a little of this and a pinch of that, and when I got it the way I wanted I wrote the recipe down. So here our macaroni and cheese recipe from our family to yours. For this macaroni and cheese I use two types of cheese, low fat milk, and pasta! The thick, creamy cheese sauce pairs perfectly with the pasta! Adding fresh ground pepper on top adds a nice finishing touch!
Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups shell or elbow pasta, dry
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cups colby jack or Mexican cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces colby jack or American cheese, thick sliced cheese-I use 4/5 slices
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cooking Directions
- Preheat Oven to 350F
- Cook pasta al dente, drain and set aside.
- In a pot on medium heat make a roux, melting the butter and flour together. Stir until a thick paste is formed.
- Gradually whisk in the milk. Add the salt and pepper to your liking.
- Allow milk to become thick, continually stirring. I use low fat milk, if you choose a higher fat milk it will make the cheese sauce even creamier and good!
- Add the shredded cheese and stir well.
- Add the sliced cheese and stir until cheese has melted. Allow cheese sauce to thicken for a few minutes, stirring often.
- In a baking dish spread some of the cheese sauce on the bottom. Pour pasta on top. Add the rest of the cheese sauce.
- Give it a little stir to make sure the cheese sauce is throughout the pasta.
- You can either enjoy this delicious dish right away or get a little more of a golden top and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
- Enjoy a bowl full of this macaroni and cheese!
Notes
*If making for a big family or crowd you may want to double the recipe![br]*When we reheat the leftovers we add a little milk and some cheese, microwave and enjoy! It brings back the creaminess like it’s fresh made!
This recipe was originally shared in the Fall 2014 and the pictures have been updated!
Leslie says
I'd love some mac and cheese right now. This looks so tasty!
CathyM says
Thanks so much Leslie, I hope that you have an awesome weekend! Thanks so much for visiting!
Damjana says
HI, Cathy, I hope this is finally it! I'm from Europe, and have no idea what macaroni cheese should taste like. I just know how it shouldn't taste (so you know about the results of every mac cheese recipe I've tried so far). This one should be end of the journey, yeey!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
CathyM says
Thanks Damjana for checking out this recipe! 🙂 Oh, I hope so! Try it out and let me know what you think!
mickeydownunder says
G'day! I love mac and cheese Thanks for sharing your recipe at our #SayGdayParty! Please stop back if you haven't already done so, to visit some other people's submissions at the party! Cheers! Joanne What's On The List? Perhaps you'll answer one of my questions too! 🙂
CathyM says
Hello Joanne! Thank you so much for hosting a great party and for stopping by to check out this recipe! 🙂
Julie V says
Thanks for sharing this yummy looking recipe. I love mac and cheese and this will be good for me to leave the blue box behind 🙂
CathyM says
Hi Julie! Thanks for stopping by to check out this recipe! Homemade is super yummy, although I admit that blue box does come in handy in a pinch! 🙂
Bobbi @ 3GLOL says
This looks like some gooooooooo-ood Mac n Cheese 🙂
Pinning it!
Thanks for sharing 😉
CathyM says
Hi Bobbi! Hope that you are great! Thanks for saying hello and for pinning this recipe, I truly appreciate both! 🙂
Julie V says
Cathy, this looks delicious and just so good. My husband likes to pit hot sauce on most everything and i love coarse ground pepper, but I've never tried Trader Joe's 21 Salute. I'll have to keep aneye out.
CathyM says
Hi Julie! 🙂 We love Trader Joe's salute. It's a beautiful blend of some fabulous spices!
Miz Helen says
There is nothing more comforting than a great bowl of Mac N Cheese, awesome! Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Kimberly Lewis says
This is drool worthy! Pinned. Hugs! Lou Lou Girls
CathyM says
🙂 Thanks so much Kimberly for checking out and for pinning!
NewMrsAdventures says
This looks like the perfect macaroni & cheese! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!
CathyM says
Thank you for hosting and for pinning! 🙂
Winnie says
I’d loooooooooove to try your recipe!! I KNOW we’d love it. With green salad on the side and it’s the perfect dinner for us 🙂
P.s. – the photos are beautiful!!
CathyM says
Thank you so much Winnie, it really means a lot to me! Perfect with a green salad!!
Damjana says
Cathy, hi!
I’m just dropping by to say hello and suddenly I’m getting hungry – it must be the amazing, mouthwatering recipes here! I love how you made it work with thew home-made macaroni and cheese, despite the initial surprise from the oven (same happened to me once, too!) I’ll try out your recipe, it’s just the perfect season! xoxo,
CathyM says
Hi there Damjana!! Hope that you and your family are doing great! This is hands-down a family favorite recipe! 🙂