Easy, Super Yummy Mac'N'Cheese

Easy, Super Yummy Mac'N'Cheese

What you need:

16 ounces Macaroni Noodles (or noodles of choice)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 cups milk 

(whole milk has best flavor and if you are making it for kids it is super good for them)

1lb cheese 

(I use sharp cheddar but any kind you prefer is fine)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: ground Mustard and crushed ritz crakers

Prepare your noodles as directed on package or to your taste.

No do yourself a HUGE favor and get the rest of the ingredients ready because once you start you are going to want them measured and on hand. Trust me.

To make the cheese sauce start with a medium sauce pan on medium-low heat.  We are going to make a roux.  It is the base for just about any creamy sauce or gravy. Add butter and whisk until melted.  Once the butter is melted slowly add the flour while you continue to whisk.  The mixture will be thick but still liquid. Now cook for 5 minutes WHISKING THE WHOLE TIME.  You must keep whisking or it will burn and you will need to start over.  

Next whisk in your milk.  I turn the heat up to Medium at this point to help with thickening.  You can add in your salt, pepper and mustard at this point.  A teaspoon of each is a good place to start.  

Keep stirring until the sauce is nice and thick, then add in your cheese.  Stir, stir and stir some more!  Once your cheese is good and melted give your sauce a taste.  Add more salt, pepper or mustard if you want.  

Now pour your sauce over your noodles and stir!  

It is ready to eat now, but you can make it Baked Mack'n'Cheese by pouring your mac'n'cheese into a baking dish and sprinkling with your crushed Ritz crackers.  Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Now, in our house I make two cheese sauces.  I follow all the same directions above, but I replace the butter with a Soy free, milk free butter substitute (Made by Earth Balance) and the Cheese is a Vegan rice milk cheese which is also Soy and Dairy free.  I also have to replace the regular milk with Rice milk.  I make a full batch of this sauce and use a little bit on about a cup full of noodles for my Rory. The rest I divide up and freeze in freezer bags to reheat for next time.  This Soy free, Milk free mac'n'cheese doesn't taste exactly the same, but it is close enough that Rory can't tell much of a difference.  She would eat it every day if she could! 

I hope you give this one a try! It only takes about 25 minutes to make the cheese sauce (once you get the hang of it).  

*****Have a family recipe you LOVE?  Please email it to me at kennedylantz@gmail.com and we will be happy to give it a try and I will feature it on our blog! *****