Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Kids love macaroni and cheese and parents love the convenience of that blue box we all know! It's fast and easy to make macaroni and cheese from a box but did you know that it's really not that hard to make it homemade and it can be a much healthier alternative. I always double this recipe and make two full casseroles. This way, I can put one in the freezer and when I'm really short of time, I can pop the frozen one in the oven for an instant meal! And, truthfully, it doesn't take any longer to make two casseroles than it does to make one!

Here's how you can do it! This is the recipe for a single casserole.

Ingredients:

1 box of pasta, 16 oz (any shape will do, be creative! Some of our favorites are the traditional elbows, shells, and rotini (corkscrews))

2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

2 Tablespoons flour

8-12 oz cheddar cheese (It depends how cheesy you like it! I use 12 oz but a friend uses 8 to cut calories and it is still quite tasty!)

2 cups milk

Seasoned bread crumbs or cracker crumbs (optional)Here's what to do:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a casserole dish (cooking spray works fine!)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to box directions. It should be "al dente." Drain pasta and put it in a casserole dish.

In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, melt butter or margarine and add flour. Stir to form a paste.

Once paste is formed, start adding milk, one tablespoon at a time at first until paste becomes liquid-y and then you can add the rest of the milk to the pot slowly. Cook on medium low, stirring constantly for about 10 minutes or until mixture becomes slightly thick. Do not let it boil and do not heat it too high or the milk will scorch and it will be no good.

Start adding cheese to the milk mixture and again, continue to stir constantly. The cheese should either be shredded or you can use small chunks. It will melt as it is heated.

Sauce is done once cheese is all melted in the mixture. Pour cheese mixture over pasta in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs or crushed cracker crumbs and bake in 350 oven for 45 minutes or until bubbly.HINTS

Shredded cheese will melt faster than chunks but chunks still work fine as that's what I always use. It is cheaper to buy a block of cheese and it's much easier to cut it into chunks than shred it all.

If you make 2 and freeze one casserole, you can freeze it unbaked and then heat from frozen for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or you can freeze it already baked and then just warm it in the microwave when ready to eat. Either method works just as well.

Use varying shapes of pasta to make it interesting. Also, experiment with different cheeses. I usually use mostly cheddar and sometimes add Colby, Monterey Jack, American, Mozzerella, or Parmesan for a variety in flavor. My general rule (what my family likes) is 2/3 cheddar and 1/3 some other cheese.

This goes good as a main dish with a salad or other vegetable or it can be used as a side dish to a chicken, beef, or fish entrée.