Baked Macaroni And Cheese

This is a fantastic recipe that you can serve as either the main course or just a side dish. This recipe is awesome because you can change type of cheese you use as well as the type of pasta based on how you are feeling and what you are craving at the moment. My family loves it when I use a mixture of Colby and Monterey Jack cheese with little pasta shells. Any way you make it works great.

Ingredients -

12 Ounces Pasta
1 1/4 Cups Whole Milk
1 Tablespoon Flour
12 Ounces Cheese (shredded)
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Butter
1/4 Cup Italian Cheese Blend (shredded)

Preparation:

1. Boil the pasta for 9-12 minutes until tender but still firm.

2. Drain well.

3. In a medium saucepan melt the butter.

4. Stir in the flour and fresh ground black pepper.

5. Add the whole milk all at once.

6. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly.

7. Add cheese and stir until melted.

8. Stir in drained pasta.

9. Transfer mixture to a casserole dish.

10. Bake in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

11. During the last 15 minutes, top the dish with the shredded Italian cheese blend.

Cooking Tip

Cooking Fresh Pasta

When you cook fresh pasta, make sure that you are prepared. Have the colander ready to go in the sink so that you can drain it once it’s finished cooking. Make sure the sauce you are going to use is thoroughly heated and ready to be plated once the pasta is done and drained. Fresh and homemade pasta cooks a lot quicker than dehydrated pasta so having everything ready will ensure that your pasta is as fresh as it can be.

Cooking Tip

Boiling Pasta

So that you don’t have any pasta boiling over, place a wooden fork or spoon across the top of the pot you are using while the pasta is cooking. Then you won’t have any yucky spills to clean up and you can just sit down and enjoy your tasty dish.