Macaroni & Cheese

Like most people, when I crave mac & cheese, I normally go for the dried box variety, and why not, it's both cheap and filling, perfect for a grad student on a budget. However, I decided the other day (in an effort to forestall doing work) that I wanted to try my hand at homemade mac & cheese. I was a bit apprehensive at first, as all my previous encounters with homemade mac & cheese left me less than satisfied, usually due to a gritty texture in the cheese sauce. This however, did not happen with this recipe, so I present it to you now as a quick and easy alternative to the dried packaged variety.

Macaroni & Cheese
Adapted from Betty Crocker "Heart Health Edition Cookbook"
2 servings

Ingredients:
3.5 oz uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce (this really adds an extra something to the dish)
1 cup milk
3 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

 1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

2. Cook and drain macaroni.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth.

4. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute, then remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.

5. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased bread pan, or other small casserole dish.

6. Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

The longer you let it cook, the thicker the sauce will become.

7. Enjoy!

Nutritional Info per Serving:
Calories 488; Total Fat 23g; Cholesterol 69mg; Sodium 659mg; Total Carbs 49g; Protein 23g