When I was a kid, my mom often made homemade macaroni and cheese.  It was SOOOO much better than the box kind that my brothers and I would make when we wanted a snack. The boxed mac and cheese was a staple in my diet for the first two years in college because it was easy to make in my dorm room with the mini crock pot.  Fast forward years later and I often keep a box or two in the house for a quick fix when work and the kids activities get in the way of cooking.

My kids love Mac and Cheese.  I  often make  Macaroni and Cheese w/ Tomato and Spinach, but sometimes we all just crave a little of the simple yellow stuff.  When we do, I will make this quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) box of elbow macaroni
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick + 2 TB) butter, divided
• 1/3 cup flour
• 3 cups milk
• 12 ounces cheese – this time I used cheddar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 Tablespoons bread crumbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook macaroni , drain and set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt  1 stick butter over medium heat.
• Stir in flour.
• Slowly add milk and stir well.
• Bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.
• Remove from burner and add the cheese, salt, and pepper.
• Stir until the cheese is melted.
• Add the macaroni and mix well.
• Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.
• If you want to top with breadcrumbs:  Mix 2 TB melted butter +  4 TB bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the macaroni and cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes.