Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a favorite “kid” food. My mom and grandma always made it from scratch and I think I was 6 years old before I knew you could make it from a box. When I finally did try boxed mac-n-cheese, I was not impressed! You can use any cheese in this recipe, but make sure it is a high quality cheese. My mom always spoiled us with Tillamook and it is definitely worth the few extra dollars.

This recipe starts with what my mom and grandma called a "white sauce." I discovered recently that it is actually called béchamel sauce and is the base of many French sauces. When béchamel is mixed with cheese, it is called Mornay sauce. This just goes to show that everything sounds fancier in French!

1 lb macaroni
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 ½ C milk
Fresh ground black pepper to taste.
1 ½ C cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Once you've started boiling the pasta, brown the butter and flour over med low heat for about three minutes. Stir in the milk and pepper and cook over low heat until thickened. Do not boil. Add cheese and stir until melted, then pour over pasta and serve.