How To Make Homemade Macaroni And Cheese

Learning how to make homemade macaroni and cheese may sound like a daunting task, especially when it is so easy to make macaroni and cheese from a box (and so delicious). However, making your own macaroni and cheese can be just as simple and much more rewarding than selecting a small blue box from the macaroni aisle at your local grocery store.

You will need:

• 7 ounces of macaroni. Choose your favorite shape: Elbow, rotini, penne, etc.
• 2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. assorted cheese of your choice: Sharp, cheddar, Velveeta, Parmesan, etc.
• Medium size pan
• Casserole dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
2. Fill the pan with water and bring the water to boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook until done. Drain water and place macaroni into casserole dish.
3. Cut cheese into thin slice or cubes.
   
4. Add butter, salt, pepper, milk, and cheese to casserole dish. Stir together.
5. Bake for twenty to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more milk if the macaroni begins to dry out.

Making your own homemade macaroni and cheese is just as simple as making the stuff from the box, except now you can brag to the ladies that you are able to cook. Feel free to experiment with the recipe by adding ketchup, Dijon mustard, or bread crumbs to the mix.

A more complicated recipe for home made macaroni and cheese requires these ingredients:

• 7 ounces macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Bring a medium sized pot of water to a bowl, add macaroni and cook until done.
3. Heat a three qt. sauce pan over medium heat. Melt butter and stir flour into the pan. Cook for one minute. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Cook until sauce thickens. Add macaroni and cheddar cheese.
4. Pour all ingredients into a two qt. casserole dish. Mix together bread crumbs, butter, and parsley in a separate bowl and spread over the macaroni and cheese. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes.