My dad makes possibly the best macaroni and cheese in the world. I’ve always thought so. It starts with a bechamel sauce and then gets baked and a nice crust of cheese forms on the top and it is amazing. I’ve made it myself since becoming a “grown up,” but I still think my dad’s is better. But even though I grew up with that at my disposal, there was always something about Kraft Mac and Cheese from a box that I found inescapably alluring. It, rather than the good baked stuff, was a treat for me. Who can understand the brain of a child? I discovered the following recipe on plainchicken.blogspot.com, and I would call it a better version of Kraft. It’s not baked, so it still has that creamy (though not runny) quality that is maybe what attracted me to Kraft. But since the macaroni cooks IN the milk, it is super creamy, and you can play around with what cheeses and spices you add. It has incredible flavor as is, and it’s so easy. It only dirties one pot from start to finish, which I know A appreciates! This past weekend we went camper-camping (as differentiated from tent camping) with some friends, and this was part of my contribution to dinner on Friday. I pre-measured out the noodles, spices, milk, and cheese and just dumped it all in when it was time to start cooking. Anything that can transition to a camping meal and still be delicious is a winner in my book. So without further ado, the recipe: 2 cups large elbow macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb) 2 1/2 cups low fat milk 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for final season later 1 Tbsp butter 1 tsp garlic powder 1 cup grated cheese of your choice black pepper to taste Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain. In medium sauce pan, add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and garlic powder. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. Do not leave the mixture unattended! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to low. Stir frequently. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture ( a few Tbsp at a time) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes and then serve. (Source) I haven’t tried it with any flavor tweaks yet, but it would be so easy to. I’ve made it with regular-sized elbow macaroni rather than the large she calls for, and I bet you could use fun noodles to do it, too! If you’re wondering what’s for dinner tonight…this could be it
