Classic Mac 'N Cheese

You know how you have some recipes for the classics and you never need to deviate? Well, if you happen to be looking for your go-to macaroni and cheese recipe, here's mine. I started making this hearty version more than a decade ago after discovering it within my own larger family. This is my husband's stepmom Janni's go-to mac and cheese and it comes from Southern Living. It's the perfect side or can stand on its own. My kids take leftovers in their Thermoses for lunch at school.

XOXO,
Amy

Classic Mac 'N Cheese
Southern Living
One 8 ounce package elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten

Cook  macaroni noodles and drain.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan, over low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Gradually add the milk. Cook over medium  heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.

Stir in salt and cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Gradually stir about a quarter of the cheese mixture into the egg and add that back to the remaining cheese mixture, stirring constantly.

Stir cheese sauce into macaroni and pour into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes -- or until hot and bubbly -- in 350-degree oven. Yields 4-6 servings.

You can double  this recipe -- as I always do. Make a tray for now and freeze a pan for later. Note that if baking cold, you will need to up the baking time.

Three Cheese and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

I woke up yesterday morning, and there was snow on the ground. SNOW. Sticking. On. The. Ground. Geez Louise, it's the middle of April. I was peeved. Really peeved.

If mother nature won't give us springtime warmth, we'll have to crank up our ovens and make our kitchens cozy. So today we're making a familiar favorite, Macaroni and Cheese. Piles of melty, gooey cheese are punctuated with salty, savory bacon.  And pasta. I think that pasta is food's way of giving us a hug. That'll stick it to the snow.

Let's make comfort food.
--Erin

Three Cheese and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

1 pound small pasta (I used bowties.)
8 ounces bacon
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk (I used 1% because that's what we drink.)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for one minute less than al dente. (Since we're baking this pasta, it will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain pasta and set aside.

Put the empty pasta pot back on the stove over medium-high heat. (You could use a separate pot, but I don't like washing dishes.) Add bacon and cook until it's just barely crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Once it's cool enough to handle, chop bacon and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease from the pot.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the onion. Saute until the onion is soft and translucent, 5- minutes. (Scrape the bottom of the pan as the onion cooks to incorporate the bacon-y browned bits into it.) Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

Remove onions and garlic from the pot and set aside. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the pot. Stir in flour and allow it to cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in mustard, mozzarella, and cheddar until the cheese is melted.

Stir cooked pasta, onions, garlic, and chopped bacon into the cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter and combine it with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of pasta. Bake macaroni and cheese for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and it's hot throughout.

Reduced-Fat Macaroni & Cheese

I had a real hankerin' for a hearty pasta dish that would stick to my ribs and warm my soul. So when Jill came over for girls' night last week, Macaroni & Cheese seemed like the perfect choice.

This version is everything I hoped for: carby and cheesy with a crunchy crust. The sauteed onion and Dijon mustard add a grown-up feel to this childhood classic. Although, I guess that means if you're making this Mac & Cheese for actual children, you may want to leave out the onion.

Reduced-Fat Macaroni & Cheese
Adapted from Skinnytaste.com
Serves: about 6

12 ounces your favorite short pasta (I used rotini, but cavatappi is my favorite for mac & cheese. Elbows, of course, are the classic choice.)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup very finely minced onion
2 cups milk (I used 1%.)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 ounces shredded 2% reduced-fat cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente.

In an oven-safe Dutch oven*, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook about one minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. (It's ok if your flour mixture clumps up.) Stir in onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3-4 more minutes. Whisk in milk and chicken broth, making sure there are no more lumps of flour. Raise heat to medium-high and continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil and is smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in Dijon mustard.

Turn off heat and stir in shredded cheddar. Keep stirring until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cooked pasta until evenly coated with sauce.

Sprinkle Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan on top of pasta. Bake for 15-20 minutes until breadcrumbs and cheese are golden.

*If you don't have an oven-safe Dutch oven, transfer the macaroni & cheese to a baking dish before cooking in the oven. I prefer to use the same pot I cooked the sauce in because that's one less dish I need to wash.