Homemade Baked Macaroni

My mom won tickets to the Eagles vs. Steelers game last Thursday. So while they were gone the Hubby and I got to spend some time in the kitchen to cook. Somethings didn't end up the way we planned but it was a very delicious dinner. So I come to you with one of the recipes we cooked with that night. I have to others but I will post them later, I want to try and post at least once a week but I will talk about that later. :) So here you go!

Homemade Baked Macaroni

Warning: The hubby wanted to make the sauce and ending up scorching it. It does start out as a besamel sauce sauce so it can scorch fast. Watch it carefully, it only took a second to look away and it was a little burnt. But after the cheese was added you really couldn't taste it.

• Cheese (read below for what we used)
• Whole Grain Macaroni (or plain if you like)
• 1 TBSP Butter (heaped)
• 1 TBSP Flour (heaped)
• Pint of Milk
• Bread Crumbs
• Fresh Tomato
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400° and start a large pot of water to boil. Add your macaroni and cook for a minute less then the instructions. Al dente because it will finish cooking in the oven. Strain dry.

In another pan melt the butter and add flour to make a paste. Add your milk to the paste slowing, only add a little at a time while stirring to combine the mix well and make it lump free. Bring the mix to a boil again before adding more milk. Once all milk is added allow white sauce to bubble for 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper. 

Return your pasta back to the pot. Remove your white sauce from the heat and add your cheese. Depending on how we feel depends on the cheese we use. You can use any cheese, this time we used Gruyere, Sharp Cheddar, and Colby. About a cup of cheddar, half cup of Colby, and a little more then a half cup of Gruyere. Stir till cheese is melted, add to your pasta and mix well. 

Transfer to a into am oven-proof dish. You can add some extra shredded cheddar to the top if you like. Slice tomato and lay on top of the pasta, then sprinkle breadcrumbs to the top of it all. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes till the top is a golden brown crust.

Makes about 4 servings.

Enjoy!

-Brit