Baked Macaroni and Cheese

This week I finally broke down and made macaroni and cheese for my husband. This recipe had him doing back flips in the kitchen! He even stayed around to help me clean up—by licking the bowl :P

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 c. elbow macaroni

1/2 c. butter, separated

2 Tbs. flour

1 tsp. mustard powder

1 tsp. ground pepper

2. c milk

8 oz. cheddar cheese

8 oz. Velveeta

1 sleeve of crackers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring macaroni to a boil in salted water until almost done and drain.

2. In a medium saucepan melt ¼ c. of butter. Blend in flour, mustard, and pepper. Whisk in milk, being sure to get out all of the lumps. Stir in both of the cheeses, stirring constantly. Stir macaroni into cheese mixture.

3. Transfer to a greased baking dish (I used a 2 qt and then a 9” pie dish, which turned out very pretty!).

4. For the topping, crush up the sleeve of crackers and coat with remaining butter, melted. Spread on top of macaroni. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, allowing the crackers to get toasty brown.