Macaroni & Cheese

Originally published July 5, 2007

I made baked macaroni and cheese for a July 4th family get together yesterday. There were leftovers so we decided to bring the dish to work. The ladies in the office scarfed it up fast and told me I had to give out the recipe--so here goes...

4 T unsalted butter
1 small onion finely diced
1 clove garlic minced
4 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf or 3 healthy sprigs of thyme
1T dried mustard
2-3 cups of whole milk
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/2 lb elbow pasta
1/2 lb cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
1 cup of crushed saltine crackers
1 egg is optional if your sauce is too thin and you need a binder while baking.
1 Fresh tomatoe (sliced) to go on top after baking

Using medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and add in the flour, cayenne and dried mustard. Use a flat whisk and stir. Cook the mixture for approximately two minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. At this point, you can add a bay leaf or thyme and add 2-3 cups of milk to the mixture and 1/4 cup of heavy cream (start with 2 cups of milk and if your sauce is too thick add more). Stir like a madman (or woman) with a flat whisk to remove all lumps. Be sure to run the whisk across the bottom, corners and side of your saucier. The mixture will thicken gradually and thicken completely when you see the boil coming.

After mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and add 1/2 lb of grated cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like). Stir to melt. STOP, taste your sauce and season for taste. Add 1/2 lb of cooked macaroni pasta and fold the macaroni into the sauce. Pour sauced pasta into a baking dish. Top with cheddar and Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of crushed saltine crackers (place pats of butter on the cracker topping to aid in browning and add more calories!). Place in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top has browned. Garnish with chives or green onions, tomatoes and eat. Serves: A lot of people.