This week, I feel like I’m going into hibernation. I’m quite certain that it’s a result of standing outside in front of the Capitol in below-freezing weather for over 8 hours on Inauguration Day – a fabulous, totally. Since then, I’ve thawed out and mostly recovered, but all week I’ve been craving heavy, cheesy meals, probably because the extended cold weather flipped a switch in my brain telling me to bulk up. But it’s been a long week, so I’ve been listening. A couple days ago I made my famous baked macaroni and cheese for dinner, which just hit the spot – and made me want to take a 2-month nap.
This is comfort food at its best. It’s not a dish for calorie-counting types. Just acknowledge that it’s terrible for you, and that it’s delicious and you’re going to eat it anyway. This concoction is so rich, cheesy, and creamy that I’d suggest serving it with plenty of veggies on the side to balance it out. Or, saute some veggies and stir them in. I usually go just for the classic, but this week I added some finely-chopped mushrooms and seitan, and it made a nice counterpoint to the heaviness of the cheese, and made the dish feel like a whole meal and not just an indulgence.
It’s not hard to prepare, and since it’s based on a pretty standard bechamel sauce (with extra cheese) it’s a useful technique to add to your skill set if you’ve never done it. You can use any kind of cheese you want, or a combination – hard cheeses work best, and cheddar is the classic, but I like to mix up whatever I have on hand. Be creative!
Another note – don’t skimp. No low-fat cheeses, margarine, or anything like that. If you’re going to make macaroni and cheese from scratch, make sure it’s the real thing. If the “mac and cheese” you’re used to comes from a brightly-colored box (and I confess that I keep some of that stuff on hand, for long days), prepare to be blown away.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- 1 tb. butter
- 1 tb. flour
- 1 c. milk
- 1-2 c. grated cheese (cheddar or blend of your favorites)
- 1/2 lb. pasta
- any desired seasonings or add-ins (completely optional)
- Set oven to 350.
- Start the pasta cooking. It can cook while you make the sauce – just drain and set aside when it’s done.
- Heat up the milk on the stove or in the microwave until it’s quite warm. This will make it easier to stir into the sauce without lumps.
- Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Once it’s melted, stir in the flour and cook gently, stirring often, until it begins to brown a little. Careful not to let it burn!
- Add the milk and stir well. Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture towards – but not to – boiling.
- As the sauce gets hot, gradually add the cheese, stirring until it’s melted into the sauce. As it approaches the boiling point, it will suddenly thicken. Be careful not to boil it, because the cheese will begin to clump unpleasantly.
- Combine the sauce and cooked pasta, along with any additions, in a baking dish. Any large enough dish will do – the wider it is, the greater the crispy-top-to-creamy-inside ratio. I sometimes add the pasta to the sauce a bit at a time just to make sure I haven’t made more pasta than the sauce can hold. Follow your own instincts about what cheese-to-pasta ratio you want, but make sure the pasta gets well coated.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top just begins to brown. Enjoy!