Macaroni and Cheese (a.k.a. Wacky Mac!)

I am so excited to share this recipe with all of you! When I started a blog last May, I wrote down a whole bunch of recipes that I knew I wanted to share and this was one of them! I had a different post planned for today but that got a little derailed when I made Macaroni and Cheese a couple of nights ago! So, I'll share Macaroni and Cheese now and I'll save the cheeseburger balls for next week!

This is a recipe that my dad has been making forever and ever! It is from the Fanny Farmer cookbook and it is so good every time! My family has always called this meal 'Wacky Mac,' I don't remember how that started but it stuck! So today I am sharing my most favorite Wacky Mac with you!

*This recipe serves 3-4 (maybe 5!) people, so you can double it depending on your needs!

You'll need to start by making a bechamel sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium sized saucepan.

Along with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Melt the butter on medium heat and stir it into the flour - you will need to stir pretty constantly, so I recommend having all of you ingredients ready to go! I recommend stirring with a whisk. The butter and flour mixture should begin to bubble as you are whisking it.

When the mixture is bubbling, it's time to add the milk. Add 1 1/4 cups of warm milk gradually to the saucepan. Stirring continuously as you add the milk. Once all of the milk is added, continue to stir until the sauce begins to thicken and bubble.

I don't know exactly how long this takes. But I leave the saucepan over medium heat and just stir away until the sauce is thick. I would guess that it takes about 10-15 minutes.

Once the bechamel thickens, add some cheese. I don't measure how much cheese I add, but I would guess that it's about a cup. I use a combination of cheddar cheese, Gouda and grated Parmesan. Continue stirring until the cheese is melted and incorporated into the sauce. When the cheese is stirred in, add 1/4 teaspoon of dried mustard and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika. The sauce should be used a quickly as possible once it's ready, so I usually have pasta noodles cooking as I'm working on the sauce.

I cooked 4 - 4 1/2 cups of fusilli noodles, drained the water and then stirred in the cheese sauce.

Then it's ready to serve! I recommend serving it pretty quickly after mixing the sauce in.

MACARONI AND CHEESE
serves 3-4 people
ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups warmed milk
~ 1 cup cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Parmesan or any other kind of cheese you like!)
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste

directions
1. Add butter and flour to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter on medium heat and stir it into the flour. I recommend stirring constantly with a whisk. The butter and flour mixture should begin to bubble as you are whisking it.
2. When the butter and flour bubble, gradually mix in the warmed milk. Once all of the milk is added stir the sauce until the sauce thickens [about 10-15 minutes]. The sauce burns quickly, so it should be stirred often.
3. Add the cheese into the sauce. As the cheese melts, stir it into the sauce. Once the cheese is incorporated, mix in the dried mustard and paprika.
4. When the sauce is finished, mix it into 4 - 4 1/2 cups of cooked pasta (I use fusilli) and serve right away.

Let me know if you have questions!