Company Mac and Cheese

Hello!


To kick off my blog, let's start with the classic college dish with a special twist on it! This recipe comes from the kitchen of my Aunt Lisa and it's perfect for a dinner party or if you have some extra time to spice up your mac and cheese and want to have leftovers for the next day or so (unless everyone decides to eat it all!)


You will need:
6 Tbsp butter (separate it into 4 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp)
2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 cups elbow macaroni
1 8oz. package cream cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

How to Make:


Start by preparing your pasta. Bring the water to a boil, then then salt and cook your macaroni. Make sure it's al dente because it will be baking later. Drain your pasta and put it to the side. Grab a separate sauce pan and throw in 4 Tbsp butter and melt that down (I usually have the heat on about a medium). Then add your 3 tbsp of flour. Mix in your milk gradually. After let it come to a boil. Once it starts boiling stir constantly for two minutes (make sure the bottom doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan so don't turn the heat too high!) then turn the heat down just a titch to keep it from burning. Add in your cream cheese, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, and spicy brown mustard (it makes it easier to stir and make the sauce more consistent if you cube the cream cheese and spread it around when you put it in. I recommend adding the cheeses in gradually instead of dumping it in so it's not lumpy and makes it smooth). We are definitely aiming for a smooth texture! Once you finish your sauce and it's mixed well and has a smooth texture, pour it on top of your macaroni and mix it well. Place your macaroni in a baking dish (9x13). Before you put it in the oven, we got to make our topping! Take the other 2 Tbsp of butter and let it melt in a separate pan. Throw in your bread crumbs and mix them together. The bread will absorb the butter and become a bit crumbly. It's not meant to brown the bread crumbs, just to melt the butter and mix it so the crumbs hold together better. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of your macaroni, then place in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until it's bubbly. Hopefully by the next time I make this, I will be able to take a picture to place along with this blog. Enjoy!