CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 45
- Servings: 8 people
- Preparation Time: 20
- 1 package (16 oz.) elbow pasta (macaroni). Use whole wheat or quinoa pasta for nutrition and variety.
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cups milk
- 4 cups (1 16 oz. “brick”) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or cut into small cubes. Use a good (and sharp) cheddar
- 6 tbsp. flour
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- [optional] finely chopped vegetables of your choice.
- Topping (optional; usually omit this)
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
- Partially cook the pasta, cooking only 6 minutes.
- In a large pot, saute the onion in the butter and olive oil, until tender.
- Season the onions with a little salt and spices of your choice.
- Stir in the flour.
- Gradually stir in the milk.
- Cook and stir (make sure the bottom doesn’t stick!) until mixture thickens and almost comes to a boil.
- Stir in the cheese, mustard, salt, pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- In a very large bowl (or in the pot, if it all fits), mix the pasta, the milk/cheese sauce and the vegetables.
- Pour into a 9×13 glass baking dish.
- [optional] The topping: Melt 2 tbsp. butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle over pasta.
- Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
