Comfort Food

Hubby had to swipe a taste

The other night I made one of our favorite meals for dinner. I can hardly stand to have a great recipe and not share it with everyone, so here I am. This one is pretty much the best when it comes to fool-proof, just plain good, home cooking. We have it at least twice a month, and we always keep the ingredients on hand (they're all very basic) so we can whip up a batch whenever we are in need of something that is just so yummy you can't stand it.

Don't be afraid. Baked Mac-n-Cheese is so easy, you'll be giving up Kraft in no time. I've included some mouthwatering pictures to tempt you. Your hubby will love you forever.

Best Ever In the Whole Wide World Mac-n-Cheese

2 T. Corn Starch
1 t. Salt
1/2 t. Dry Ground Mustard
1/4 t. Pepper
2 1/2 C. Milk
2 T. Butter
2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 oz. (2 C.) elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium heat. Once mixture starts to bubble (boil) allow it to continue for 1 minute. Remove sauce from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Combine with macaroni in an oven proof dish. Bake at 375 degrees until the top is a little bit brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Notes:

-I added ham to the batch I made on Sunday night. It's super yummy, and I wanted to use up some of the left over ham from Christmas. Be warned that if you put ham in the mac and cheese, it will be a little bit more runny because ham retains a lot of water that comes out in the cooking process. Just let it cool and everything will firm back up, but it looks a little different than when you just make it the regular way.

-I almost always double this recipe. If it's just for a side and there aren't many of you, one will be enough, but the leftovers are sooooo good, it never goes bad if you make a little extra. This recipe, doubled, fits perfectly in a 9x13 dish.

-My mom sometimes makes this with bread crumbs on top. I have a strong aversion to any bread that is even the slightest bit soggy, so I don't do that, but I've heard that those with less of a gag reflex really like them.

I guarantee you will love this. Just try it! It's the best comfort food, and so easy and basic.