I thought I'd share Mel's sister's recipe for baked macaroni and cheese. We call it "Crackaroni," because it's just that good. I made it for dinner tonight. This is a great recipe because you can use half of it to feed two people (with leftovers) and you can freeze the other half to bake another night. Enjoy!
2 cups milk
1 lb. Velveeta
1 lb. cheddar cheese
1.5 lbs. elbow macaroni
2 tb. butter
1 tb. flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350.
Boil macaroni until it's almost done, about 8 minutes. It should be al dente. Strain, place back in pot.
Over medium heat, pour 2 cups of milk in a saucepan. Slowly add cut up cheese (should be cut into small cubes for easier melting) and slowly cook. Stir constantly, otherwise it will separate or get clumpy. This can take up to 30 minutes, so have a book or a magazine sitting next to you on the counter for entertainment. Don't get it too close to the burner.
(This step is only necessary if your melted cheese sauce isn't thick enough to suit you. Use a couple tablespoons less milk and you may not have to do it at all.) In a small saucepan, combine about 2 tablespoons of butter with one tablespoon of flour. Whisk together. Add the butter/flour mixture to the cheese/milk sauce. Blend together well. You'll notice the cheese mixture will get thicker. You can add a little more butter & flour for thicker sauce, a tiny bit of milk for thinner sauce. Once it's at the right thickness, pour the cheese mixture into the pot with your macaroni. Mix together well.
Place in treated casserole dish (spray a little Pam or whatever on your pot--makes for easier clean up). I use a four-quart for just Matt and I and freeze the rest. I top mine with some shredded parmesan, breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of paprika. Bake for 45-60 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like it.
Eat it up while it's hot and gooey!