Baked White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Why I Love This Recipe
This is my family's favorite comfort food - and mine. My MIL taught me how to make it about 15 years ago. It's made with white cheddar cheese - which I loved from the start b/c I have a strange thing where I can not/will not eat cheese that is orange (like most shredded cheddar is!). Strange I know but luckily there are ways around it, as this recipe proves! Walmart carries the 16 oz. block of extra sharp, white cheddar.
Ingredients You'll Need
1/2 box of elbow noodles (cooked 1 minute less then the directions on the box tell you to)
3 TBS butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup of finely chopped onions
2 1/2 cup of milk
about 12 ounces of shredded Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese (a little more than half of a 16oz. block)
1/2 a cup of shredded Montery Jack
1/4 cup italian flavored bread crumbs
s & p to taste
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute onions about 4-5 minutes, until soft.
Add flour and combine with butter and onion.
Let cook on med-low heat for about 1 minute before gradually adding the milk, stirring constantly.
Keep stiring until your roux has thickened then add salt and white pepper to taste (add enough so that the roux tastes good before you even add the cheeses!)
Turn heat to low and then add the cheeses, stirring until melted.
Taste your cheese sauce again and add more salt and pepper as needed.
Take off of heat and fold in your slightly undercooked macaroni noodles - combine completely.
Transfer mac & cheese to a lightly greased casserole dish and then sprinkle italian bread crumbs over the top of the whole thing.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven until the top is slightly browned and the mac & cheese is bubbly.
Let cool about 10-15 minutes before eating.
*note - the leftovers make GREAT fried mac and cheese. Just cut the cold leftovers into blocks, dip in beaten eggs and then coat in Panko (Jap. bread crumbs). Fry in oil at 375 until browned.
