Cheddar Mac & Cheese

I'm sorry, but Hubby and I don't really eat mac and cheese. We did need another side dish to go with the ham for Hubby's birthday dinner so I went with this! It was a lot more liquidy after I made it, but it sat for a few minutes before everyone started eating so that's why it looks so much more stiff.

It's pretty good. Very rich says my Sis. Meh. That's what mac and cheese is supposed to be, right? Lol. Who knows. I'm the type who would rather eat the Kraft kind in a box than ones made from scratch. Blasphemy (is what most people would say but I don't care)!


Cheddar Mac & Cheese
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dry macaroni pasta
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 5 cups cheddar cheese, grated (or more if you want)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (more to taste, if needed)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp mustard powder

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook macaroni in salted water until al dente and drain.
2. In a separate large pot or dutch oven, melt butter on medium low heat. When butter has melted, whisk in flour to make a paste. Sprinkle in nutmeg and mustard powder. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes or so.
3. Slowly pour milk in a bit at a time while whisking constantly to break up any lumps. Add salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and mixture has thicken (sauce will leave a trail when you dip a spoon in to drizzle sauce on top of the sauce in the pot). Reduce heat to low.
4. Stir in cheese and mix until all the cheese has melted. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Pour in the cooked macaroni and mix until every piece is well coated. Add more milk if it's too dry.
6. Serve immediately if you like it very creamy, or let it sit for a few minutes, if you like it less creamy.