Macaroni & Cheese Updated Foodie Friday

Updated Five Cheese Macaroni and Cheese (prep. time 45 minutes. Serves up to 20 depending if served as main or side dish.)

This recipe is less complex and uses less exotic varieties of cheese than the 2013 recipe.

½ C. each shredded 1X sharp cheddar, mild cheddar and Jack cheese

3 slices American cheese

1 C. parmesan cheese (as a thickener for the sauce, so add a little at a time)

2 Tb butter

½ onion, finely diced

2 Tb. flour

dash of nutmeg

salt & pepper

3 C. milk

1 box elbow macaroni

bread crumbs to top

Heat oven to 350. Bring the water for the macaroni to a boil (unsalted water).  While that heats and the macaroni cooks, in a large sauce pan, melt the butter and sauté the onion until translucent.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux and cook until light brown in color.  Reduce heat and whisk in the milk.  Bring milk almost to a simmer and add salt, pepper and nutmeg (go easy on the salt, the cheese is already salty). Whisk in the shredded cheeses and  pieces of the American cheese slices.  Watch the thickness and start whisking in the Parmesan a little at a time until the sauce reaches desired consistency. When the pasta is just short of al dente, drain.  You want the pasta a little under-cooked since it will absorb sauce and continue to cook while baking.  Mix together the noodles and sauce and spread into a buttered baking pan.  Top with bread crumbs and optional additional shredded cheese. (I didn’t have prepared bread crumbs, so I toasted Italian bread and smashed it up with a rolling pin.) Put slivers of butter on top or spray with baking spray to aid in browning. Bake about 30 minutes until bubbling and the top is browned.