The Magic of the Mac

Mac and cheese.  We all loved it as kids and let's face it, we still love it as adults.  When you're home late from work and all other food is just to complicated to prepare, mac and cheese is there for you in a pinch.  Bad day?  Mac and cheese will make you smile!  Good day?  Mac and cheese to celebrate!  Honestly, folks, mac and cheese might just be the answer to all the world's problems.


I came across an awesome recipe for mac and cheese from scratch on the wonder that is Pinterest, and I will share it with you today so that you can all make you some delicious tonight for dinner.

The first rule of this mac and cheese recipe is use shells.  Taste wise, obviously, pasta is pasta, but in terms of cooking the noodles and maintaing creamy, cheesey goodness, you need shells to make the magic happen.  Dump 2 cups maccaroni shells into a large saucepan.  Add 2 1/2 cups milk (I recommend something with a little fat in it as opposed to skim, as it keeps things creamy) and set it on the stove to simmer. Do not boil this.  Boiling milk=bad.  Don't say I didn't warn you.  Cook the pasta at a low simmer, stirring occassionally, about 20-25 minutes until pasta is soft, then just turn off your heat.  Don't drain!  Add about 1 cup of shredded cheese (I use a nice sharp cheddar, but you can use any cheese or combination of cheeses your little heart desires), 1 tsp salt, 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard (and if you happen to not have real live Dijon on hand, here is a recipe within a recipe for an acceptable substitute: 1 Tbsp powdered mustard, 1 tsp water, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp mayo, pinch sugar, mixed well), a dash of nutmeg and a dash or two of chili powder.  You also have the option of throwing in some other tasty things--bacon, ham, broccoli, spinach, chicken, bacon (did I say bacon already?)--to add some pizzazz and colour.  Stir  it all together and voila!  Mac and cheese!  The awesome thing is that you can nom this puppy right now OR you can toss it into a casserole dish, top it with some more cheese and breadcrumbs and bake for 10 minutes at 375 and then nom it.  Either way, it's some delicious tasting stuff.