Macaroni & Cheese

This recipe is a new one, from Betty Crocker Country Favorites. It's one of those cookbooks that kind of sucks you in--it comes in the mail, you don't think you'll keep it, then recipe after recipe catches your eye and before you know it, you're sending them a check. (Please tell me I'm not the only one).

Anyway, the boys wanted macaroni and cheese, and we were completely out of the boxed kind. (at least they had been boxes of Annie's organic). So, I whipped this together. It didn't take too long, just the attention to stirring of the white sauce and the baking at the end. I didn't have elbow macaroni, so I used fusilli. I sliced up some tomatoes to put on top before I baked it. It was cheesy and delicious, and H-Bomb cleaned his plate.

Macaroni & Cheese
6 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Start to Finish: 50 minutes

1 package (7 ounces) elbow macaroni (2 cups)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded or cubed sharp Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook macaroni as directed on package.

3. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

4. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

5. Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly.