#15 - Macaroni and Cheese

I'd been craving some extra cheesy homemade macaroni and cheese all week, so I decided to finally make it Friday night.  I followed a recipe from my Cook This Not That cookbook that I've been eyeing for awhile.  If I'd noticed the sidebar in the book that recommended adding tomatoes or broccoli I would have done that, but I was already back from the grocery store by then.  Oh well.  It was warm and gooey and delicious.  I altered the recipe a little by adding cayenne pepper based on other mac and cheese recipes I looked at.  I didn't put in chopped pickled jalapenos or strips of ham, which the original recipe included.  I think I overcooked the egg noodles a little.  Elbow macaroni might have been better.  I also messed up the simmering of the milk/onion/flour mixture so it was all burnt onto the pot.  It really should be simmered on a very low temp and definitely needs to be taken off the burner to cool for awhile before it's poured out.  So hey, I learned something with this recipe!  And satisfied my craving for mac and cheese.  And have enough to continue satisfying it for several more days.  Excellent.  Recipe #15 - yummmmmmm

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (less would be ok)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used half mozzarella, half extra sharp cheddar... more cheddar would be better)
about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
about 5 dashes of cayenne pepper (don't over do it!)
1 pound of pasta
bread crumbs

Instructions:
Cook pasta in a big pot.  Don't overcook!  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, but not browned, about 3 minutes.  Add the flour and stir to incorporate.  Pour in the milk gradually, using a whisk to prevent lumps.  Allow to simmer on low for 10 minutes, until it begins to thicken.  Stir in the cheeses and seasonings.

Add the cheese sauce to the pasta and mix well.  Taste test to see if it needs more spice or salt.  Pour into a large baking dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs and more cheese.  Bake for about 10 minutes, then turn on the broiler for an additional 3 minutes.

(To make this dish healthier, add 2 cups of roughly chopped or cherry tomatoes or 2 cups of steamed broccoli.)  Serves about 6.

New ingredients: nothing
New skills: not burning simmering milk