Recipe of the Day - Homemade Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 cups Macaroni noodles, dry

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups old cheddar cheese, grated

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 cup bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups old cheddar cheese, grated

1/2 tsp salt

5 grinds black pepper

pinch cayenne

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente.  Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, make white sauce (aka bechamel). In a heavy saucepan melt the butter until bubbly but not brown. Add the flour all at once and whisk until it forms a smooth paste.  Begin adding milk slowly, a little at a time whisking all the while gradually increasing to a steady stream until all the milk has been added.  Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. 

3. Preheat the oven to 350'F.  Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring around the bottom frequently (to keep sticking and burning to a minimum) until sauce has first boiled, then thickened.  It is done when the sauce is thick enough to heavily coat a spoon.  Remove from heat and stir in first quantity grated cheese. Stir until fully melted.

4. Stir the drained noodles into the cheese sauce and pour into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish or other similar dish.   In another bowl, mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs and remaining cheese and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the noodle mixture as evenly as possible.  Bake uncovered until macaroni and cheese bubbles around the edges and the topping is a nice golden brown colour (about 30-45 minutes).  Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Alternatively, skip baking the pasta and freeze until you are ready to serve.  It may take 45 minutes to an hour in the oven if coming straight from the freezer.

Yield: One 9x13 inch pan or enough to feed 4-6 as a meal.