Flavor of the Month: Baked Mac N Cheese

The taste of good, homemade macaroni and cheese brings me back to my childhood.  One of my favorite dishes has always been mom’s macaroni and cheese.  Rich, creamy, cheesy, ooey, gooey goodness.  It is definitely our family tradition.

The November Flavor of the Month is Traditions.  Perhaps after trying mom’s macaroni and cheese, you’ll decide to make it your family tradition as well!  To explore traditions submitted by other bloggers this month, click the logo above.

Even though I now live 2,940 miles (exactly, according to Google Maps) away from my mom, I still use her recipe.  But I do like to change it up a bit.  I usually use a combination of two or more types of cheese.  I just love to walk through the cheese section and select a brand or type that I’ve never tried before.  This time I used Dubliner cheese with Irish Stout and Trader Joe’s Organic Monterey Jack.

The Dubliner cheese is sharp, and the Monterey Jack is the perfect mild complement.  I also threw a little bit of grated Parmesan into the pot.

This recipe uses a roux, which is basically a mixture of fat (butter) and flour that helps to thicken sauce or gravy.  So you will have to stand over the stove for a while, stirring while the sauce thickens.  It won’t take too long (about 10-15 minutes), and it’ll be worth it.  I promise.

Then you can say that you’ve made a roux.  Now doesn’t that sound fancy?  People will be impressed.

This recipe is easily adaptable.  Sometimes I like to add broccoli or ham, or whatever else I can find that tastes good when it’s covered in cheese.  What is your favorite addition to mac n cheese?

Baked Mac N Cheese

10 ounces of macaroni (I like to use elbows or penne)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced finely [Mom's note: Do not leave this out!!]
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces shredded cheese of your choice, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  Drain the pasta and set aside.  Adding a little olive oil to the water while boiling the pasta will help prevent the pasta from sticking together as it cools.

Mix flour, dry mustard, and pepper in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add onion and cook until tender and opaque.  Stir in the flour mixture.  Slowly add the milk, and cook until smooth and slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese.  Continue to stir until all the cheese has melted.

Place half of the pasta into a 2 1/2 quart round casserole dish.  Pour some cheese mixture over it.  Cover with the rest of the pasta, and pour the remainder of the cheese over the pasta.  Slice some cheese to place on top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and starting to brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes or so before eating.