Sunday, March 13, 2016

Macaroni and Cheese

I've tried so many scratch recipes for macaroni and cheese. I was raised on Kraft rather than the old fashioned baked stuff so I could never come around to really liking it.
We found a brewery around here that the hubster and I love to frequent when we get boy-less time (which is hardly ever, but still). They serve a macaroni and cheese with smoked gouda and ham. We liked it so much we were trying to go back just for that so I started trying to find a recipe to make it at home so we could all enjoy it. 
This is where I ended up.
I vary this recipe with different types of cheese and different add-ins. It's been a hit every time. Most often it's ham with smoked gouda but I add in steamed broccoli at the end. 



1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 cup heavy cream
2 cup shredded cheese (we have used cheddar and smoked gouda)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1lb, pasta


Start cooking pasta according to package directions while you work on the sauce. When it's ready, drain and set aside.
In a large pot on medium high heat, add butter until melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for about one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add milk, heavy cream, salt, dry mustard and pepper. Continue whisking until it begins to bubble. Reduce to low and add white cheddar. Stir until melted.
Add cooked pasta and whatever extra add-ins sound good at the moment.