Homemade Mac & Cheese!

Put down that blue box - we are making macaroni & cheese from scratch - that's right! And it will not be bland, or pasty - it's creamy, rich, cheesy, and delicious. Here we go...

The first thing you need to know about making homemade mac & cheese is making a bechamel. A bechamel is a white sauce that serves as the base for many sauces like the cheese sauce we will use over our macaroni, or an Alfredo sauce, ... Sounds fancy but a Bechamel is really just flour and butter. It's really a snap and then you get to tell people that you made a Bechamel sauce and you sound all professional!!

But before we get to the sauce, first cook and prepare the macaroni, about 2 cups. I use whatever kind I have on hand, shells, elbows, etc. Place the prepared macaroni in a casserole dish, around 2 qt.

Now for the sauce:

1) Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a medium saucepan. I use unsalted but it's up to you. Once the butter is melted add 1/4 cup of flour, mix well, making sure there are no lumps.

2)The mixture should get smooth and start to bubble. Add 2 1/4 cups of milk, and 1/2 t salt, stir well over medium heat, again looking to make sure there are no flour lumps.

3) Stir constantly until mixture slightly thickens, add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, stir until melted, reduce heat to low.

4) Pour the cheese sauce on top of the macaroni and stir to combine. Bake at 350 for 25 min. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Get creative - this mac & cheese is super delicious all on it's own. But you can try adding different things to it and the possibilities are endless. Chop up some leftover ham and mix it in with the macaroni before baking. Sometimes I use cubed ham, or sliced chicken sausage. Add a veggie like peas or broccoli to sneak some veggies into your kids. You can use whatever you have on hand. But if adding meat make sure it is cooked first before tossing it in the mix! The baking time will not cook raw meat.

Enjoy!