Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Melanie Neer
(©Oct 20, 2008~Ciao--previously published at Ciao under my pen-name of pyewacket)

In my mind nothing beats the taste of good old fashioned baked macaroni and cheese. Like most people, I've tried the commercial boxed versions in a pinch, but they just don't taste all that great. A friend of mine, while in a sense she makes "homemade", she uses canned Cheddar Cheese soup, but while it tastes all right it has a strange aftertaste.

So while it does take longer to make a truly homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese dish, it's well worth the effort.

Old-fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

½ lb box of Macaroni
2 quarts boiling water
In large saucepan, bring water to a boil and add the macaroni and cook until done. Drain macaroni in a colander. While macaroni is cooking, make the Medium White Sauce
Medium White Sauce

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
¾ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Additional Ingredients for finishing touch:
Breadcrumbs

In a saucepan melt butter, then add the flour, constantly whisking to blend. Slowly add the milk and whisk to blend while adding the milk. Add the salt and pepper. Next slowly add the shredded Cheddar Cheese and continue to constantly whisk the white sauce until fully blended with the cheese. If you wish and the sauce seems too thick to you, add a little more milk to the desired consistency.

In a buttered baking dish, add the macaroni, then spoon in the Cheddar Cheese White Sauce mixture and blend until evenly mixed.

Now sprinkle on top of macaroni about ½ cup or slightly more of seasoned breadcrumbs, then dot top of breadcrumbs with butter and bake in a 350º F oven for at least fifteen minutes.
Serves about 4

Published by Melanie Neer

I have been a successfully published photographer and my work has appeared on the covers of magazines,newspapers, in calendars and to illustrate books. I also am a writer with a few published short stories...  View profile

  • Nothing beats homemade macaroni and cheese and it's not too hard to make
While the boxed versions of macaroni and cheese are good in a pinch, nothing beats the taste of authentic homemade macaroni and cheese

11 Comments

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  • Jeff Rogers8/30/2009

    Sounds delicious!

  • R. M. Ziegler8/21/2009

    I agree that if you use canned cheddar cheese soup, it gives a funny taste. Nothing beats homemade baked mac n cheese. Once you taste it, you never eat the instant kind with powdered orange cheese.

  • Hartley Engel8/3/2009

    This sounds really, really good. :-D

  • Bridgitte Williams8/3/2009

    Homemade mac and cheese...yummy!!!!!!!! great recipe, thanks!! :-)

  • Angel Vee7/29/2009

    Hubba hubba yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Wendy Wilkins Valdez7/26/2009

    Now I'm hungry and I'm supposed to be in bed!! LOL I love homemade mac n cheese! Mom always used extra sharp white Cheddar, preferably from the Amish market. But, boy was it ever good!!! Now I need to make some.

  • Sondra C7/26/2009

    sounds delicious.gotta try it. Thanks for sharing

  • Faith Draper7/26/2009

    Nothing at all compares to good old fashioned baked mac and cheese - one of my ex-mother-in-laws made the best every, miss her and it horribly, now I'm hungry :(

  • Marie Anne St. Jean7/26/2009

    I love real baked mac and cheese! I rarely make it and when I do it never comes out as good as I think it should. Will have to keep this one in mind.

  • Amanda C. Strosahl7/26/2009

    Now this is comfort food at its best!

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