Classic Macaroni and Cheese

Cheesy goodness that will never disappoint and is perfect for a potluck, family dinner, or Thanksgiving side. There are so many ways to fancy up macaroni and cheese dish, but sometimes classic is best.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried elbow macaroni

• 1/2 c (1 stick) butter

• 1/2 c flour

• 1 T salt

• 1/4 t black pepper

• 4 cups whole milk

• 4 cups shredded cheese, divided*

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking casserole dish and grease pan with butter.

3. Cook macaroni pasta al dente, according to package direction. Drain and rinse

4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium and stir in flour, salt and pepper, and mix until flour is well blended, about 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to stir and cook over medium low until mixture is starting to thicken.

6. Quickly add in 3 cups cheddar and 1 cup mozzarella and stir until just melted

7. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni in large pot or bowl and pour macaroni mix into the baking casserole and cover with remaining cheddar

8. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

9. Remove foil and bank an additional 10 minutes until cheese browns and garnish with fresh parsley if desired

*freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded bagged cheese Feel free to be creative with various cheeses, such as Monterey jack, pepper jack, Parmesan, feta and gruyere and add other spices (paprika, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder) depending on your intended guests. Consider adding breadcrumbs as a topping and drizzling melted butter over breadcrumbs prior to baking.