Elbows for Good Old-Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
This is a good recipe if you need to feed a crowd of children or adults nostalgic for a childhood favorite. We made a double batch to have on hand for our grand kids and those carbo-loading the night before for the Pie and Glove 5K on Thanksgiving morning.
I found this good old-fashioned version in the Meat Free Monday Cookbook. It has bread crumbs on top and requires a roux which is worth the effort. Three different cheeses make it special.
Good Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese
(Meat Free Monday Cookbook, pg. 43.)
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 T. olive oil
4 slices of stale white bread
6 T. butter
6 T. flour
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 3/4 cups organic milk
3/4 cup freshly grated strong Cheddar
3/4 cup freshly grated Monterey Jack
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Start your water for the pasta, then make the cheese sauce.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter then stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Beat in the mustard, then stir in the milk, and whisking as the mixture thickens.
Add the three cheeses. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.
Bring a large pan of cold water to a boil, add plenty of salt, and cook the pasta for about 10 minutes or until al dente, then drain.
Spread the pasta out in a shallow baking dish and pour over the cheese sauce.
To make the breadcrumbs pulse the bread in a food processor for 10 seconds or grate by hand. (We put the stale bread in a bag and pounded it with side of rolling pin until crumbly.)
Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the macaroni and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden. (Place on cooking sheet to protect your oven from spillage.)
Serve with a mixed salad.
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