Tasty Tuesday: X Marks the Spot

Sometimes I’m like a dog with a bone when it comes to recipes and for years I’ve been on the hunt for a homemade macaroni and cheese recipe that 1) wasn’t dry, 2) wasn’t bland, 3) didn’t have Velveeta as one of the ingredients.  In the past few months, I found it. Not “it” really, but “them” because I combined two recipes to make one awesome homemade macaroni and cheese! My sister and Preacher Man both said it was as good as or better than Cracker Barrel’s mac and cheese. High praise indeed!

Here is what you need to make Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese:

1 (8 oz) package of macaroni, cooked

4 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. flour

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. ground mustard

½ tsp. black pepper

Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese and a little extra for sprinkling on top

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

First, melt the butter in a large saucepan.

Add flour and stir until well blended.

Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.

Add salt, onion powder, ground mustard, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. 

Boil for two minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat and add cheeses. 

Stir until melted. The cheese sauce is usually really stretchy from the mozzarella at this point so I just add some extra milk to bring back the creaminess.

Remove from heat. Add macaroni to saucepan and stir to coat with cheese sauce.

Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Take out of oven and sprinkle top with extra cheddar cheese. 

Bake for 10 more minutes.

 So, so yummy and cheesy. It is a meal by itself.

Cracker Barrel good? You be the judge. J

Happy to have found my treasure after years of searching in the tree house,

Chelli