Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese, a staple of any household.  While making the box macaroni and cheese is quick and easy, it does not always make the grade.  I find this recipe to be fairly easy and it always comes out great!  My kids and my husband love my homemade macaroni and cheese, and while I am biased, it is the best mac and cheese I have ever had. Enjoy!

Macaroni & Cheese
Original Recipe by Martha Stewart
Shared by Susan Clough
Adapted by Rins Recipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups of milk
1 to 1 1/2 lbs of cheese ends from the deli
Salt and Pepper
12 oz of Macaroni (cooked and drained)
20 Ritz crackers crushed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cook macaroni according to directions on packaging.  In microwave safe bowl melt 1/4 cup of butter and then blend in the flour and nutmeg.  Cook in microwave for 1 minute.  Add milk slowly and stir constantly until well blended.  Cook for 4 to 6 minutes in the microwave, stopping and stirring at 2 minute intervals.  Cut up cheese ends into small chunks and then blend into the roux sauce, stirring until cheese is all melted (may need to put in the microwave for a few minutes to melt some of the harder cheeses).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place macaroni into an oven safe bowl or casserole dish.  Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni and stir until sauce is well blended with macaroni.  In another microwave safe bowl, melt 1/4 cup of butter and then mix in the crushed crackers.  Place cracker mixture over the top of the macaroni and distribute evenly.  Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.

Variations:  For a different flavor I add a clove of crushed garlic in place of the nutmeg.  You could also add cooked bacon, ham chunks or even broccolli to the macaroni and cheese before baking.

I hope you all enjoy as much as I do!  Recipe yields about 6-8 servings.