Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(Originally published at Yahoo.voices formerly Associated Content~7/26/2009)

ABSTRACT: With few rare occasions I've never used boxed macaroni and cheese and prefer to make my own homemade version

CONTENT: (©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