Cooking Adventures

Creamy Maconi & Cheese by Taste of Home

Let me start off by saying that I have been working on finding "The Best" recipes out there. The BEST chocolate chip cookie, the BEST cheesecake, the BEST...etc. and so one of my current quest's is to find a great recipe for homemade mac & cheese and the silly thing is that 3 attempts later and NOTHING but this comes close....kinda. So other recipes have either tasted like nothing (bland), they are dry, they are too fatty, etc....this one....the taste is beyond awesome but it is so thick, so intense that it's consistency is like wet play dough....really....so I love the taste and I think if you use SKIM milk, a tablespoon flour, 4 ounces Velveeta then you are good to go. And oh, I didn't use the ground mustard because I don't like it :)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups 2% milk
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in the sour cream, process cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth and cheese is melted. Drain macaroni; toss with cheddar cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in cream sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.