Macaroni & Cheese

As many recipes as I've tried for macaroni and cheese, I finally decided that the only one that I ever want to make is the one I first made with my mom. No baking, no crumbs, no fancy cheeses...and no trying to make it better for you! Just good, classic mac & cheese.

Macaroni & Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni (other short pastas work also, but I've tried them all, and macaroni is the best!)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
pinch cayenne (optional)
pinch or two salt
pinch white pepper or black pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (In a pinch, when I've had only mild cheddar, I subbed out some of the cheddar for parmesan or swiss.)

Set a big pot of water on to boil. Enlist an assistant to grate the cheese while you measure the other ingredients. In making the sauce, it really helps to have the milk warm, or even hot, but at least room temperature. I usually stick it in the microwave for that.

Okay, once the water has boiled, throw in a big tablespoon of salt and the macaroni, stirring so that they don't stick to each other or the bottom of the pot. Set a timer for however long the package says so you can pay attention to the sauce. Do stir it occasionally, though, to make sure they're not sticking.

Right. Now that the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir to incorporate the two, smoothing out any lumps. Before the roux (butter/flour mixture) has a chance to get brown, drizzle in the warm milk, stirring constantly, giving the roux a chance to absorb the milk as you add it. As soon as all the milk has been added, dump (or sprinkle, whichever you like better) in your seasonings. Simmer until it thickens a bit. Turn off the burner and add the cheese, stirring to melt. I've made my sauce a little grainy sometimes, I think by either cooking the roux too much or accidentally letting the cheese boil in the sauce or maybe from using too much cheese. I don't really know. You probably won't have this problem.

Meanwhile, your macaroni's probably done by now. Drain it and dump it back in the pot. If you drain it by putting the lid on so that there's a space for water, but not noodles, to escape, then you can skip this step. Scrape the sauce over the macaroni and stir to coat. At this point, my family considers it perfect mac and cheese. Divide evenly between bowls, counting the number of noodles so that no one gets less than anyone else.