MOM'S MACARONI & CHEESE	Printer Friendly Version
Growing up, I was one of four kids in the Redmond house. And I'm here to tell you, my Mom was one hard working woman. She made as much as possible from scratch. Today there are a lot of incredible companies making delicious, healthy, natural, and organic ready-to-eat foods. Still, making it yourself is always best because you know exactly what's in it and can adjust for dietary restrictions, food allergies, etc.. This is a recipe I remember my mom making pretty often as a kid. I don't eat it much anymore but I make it for friends who have recently had babies or are in need of some home-cooked comfort food. Because we're using a lot of dairy in this mac and cheese, organic is vitally important
1 ½ cups elbow macaroni 3 tablespoons organic butter 3 tablespoons flour 2 cups organic milk 1 teaspoon dry mustard ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper dash pepper 1 ½ cups grated organic cheddar cheese 1 cups grated parmesan cheese 2-4 organic roma tomatoes - sliced 1 cup bread crumbs Cook pasta until firm. Set aside. Melt butter on low heat. Whisk in flour and continue to stir for 3 minutes. Pour in milk and continue to whisk until mixture comes to a light boil. Add mustard, salt, cayenne and pepper and continue to cook at a low simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened - about 3 minutes. Stir in cheddar cheese and half (1/2 cup) of the parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese has melted. Place cooked macaroni in a greased baking dish. Pour sauce over the macaroni and stir until macaroni is fully coated. In a small bowl mix together bread crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese. Sprinkle crumb mixture over the pasta. Top with sliced tomatoes and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with mixed greens or salad.
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