The best baked Mac-N-Cheese

I have made mac and cheese until my heart is content... boxed that is.. I have also made this recipe several times, unaware of how big of a hit this is with family, friends and every one I have every shared it with. Now, I am no chef.. I am not even trained.. but I learn what I can when I can. I am a culinary sponge! Now that the back ground is out of the way, here is how I came across how to make a cheese sauce. When I worked in an assisted living facility in Charlotte, NC (in the kitchen) I was taught how to make a rue and then how to make an Alfredo sauce from scratch. Alfredo was easy.. rue, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and seasonings to taste. I took the same concept and applied this to mac and cheese. I do not use heavy cream with mine just whole milk and I like to try different types of shredded or block cheese.

Another fun thing we did on this particular night we made the noodles turn blue  (another Pinterest idea/ pin)... Which with the plethora of children we now have in our home, makes it fun for them. Who said dinner couldn't be fun right?!?!

The best picture I could get of the blue boiling water with elbow noodles :)








While the noodles were boiling I started on the cheese sauce. I used about 2 1/2 tablespoon of butter and melted that into a sauce pan. Once melted I added about 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour until it created a paste, of course you want to let it cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook out the flour taste. Once the paste comes together you want to add about 2 cups of whole milk. During this whole process I like to use a whisk verses a spoon, it seems for me to work better in the creaming of all ingredients.

This is how mine mixture looked after adding about 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp garlic and 1/2 tsp paprika (love the smoked flavor)





Once you have the rue, milk and seasonings combined you want to slowly stir the mix until the sides of the sauce pan start to bubble (yes, this is a very involved process, DO NOT walk away from the sauce, milk boils into a foam quickly!!) Once you see the bubbles forming it in now time to add the cheese :)

On this night I wanted a white cheese sauce for the blue noodles. I used about 1 1/4 cup of Wisconsin smoked mozzarella cheese and about 1/2 cup of the mild cheddar

Stirring, Stirring, STIRRING.. stir the cheese in until it is well combined with the milk. 




Once the sauce becomes thick you want to turn the heat OFF. With this type of sauce the longer it stays on the heat the thicker it continues to get. Now me personally I do continue to stir the sauce even after it has been removed from the burner to insure it is well combined. I have not had any issues with over stirring. I usually add the sauce to the cooked and drained noodles in the pot, then pour the whole mix in the a lightly sprayed casserole dish.

Blue noodles white sauce :)








I like to have cheesy mac-n-cheese so with the left over cheddar cheese I sprinkled it over the top of the mix and place this into the oven at 375 for about 15 minutes (or until the sauce starts to bubble around the edges and the cheese is completely melted)

I have to say the smoky flavor from the cheese was amazing!! I do believe EVERYone had seconds on mac-n-cheese that night! I will say once you make this you will be hooked and it will be soooo very hard not to crave and want to make this baked mac-n-cheese for every meal!!

The Recipe:

2 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 Tbsp flour
2 Cups whole milk
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/4 Cup smoked mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup mild cheddar
1 Pound elbow noodles
15 drops blue food coloring

Boil water, add food coloring and noodles boil til cooked. In medium sauce pan add butter and melt on medium high heat. Once butter is melted add flour and whisk together to for a paste. Once paste is formed add whole milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. cook until you see bubbles forming around the edge of the pan. Add cheese a little at a time whisking continuously. Once mixture thickens remove from heat. Add sauce to the cooked and drained noodles. Pour noddles and sauce in to a lightly greased casserole dish and cook at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, or until the mac-n-cheese is bubbling around the edges.


The Sites:
http://tonispilsbury.com/the-lorax-dinner-makeover/ - dying noodles

This is a fantastic throw together recipe for church gatherings, family get togetherness and so much more!

Now its your turn to go and experiment with different types of cheeses and create your own favorite Mac-N-Cheese!!

<3 T