Monday Recipe: Baked Mac & Cheese

I got this recipe over on allrecipes.com almost a year ago.  It's the very first one I ever bookmarked on that site, and I've made it countless times since.  My husband loves it, and it quickly became one of our favorites!  Big warning though, it is not very diet friendly (although very yummy :)).  For the recipe on their site, click here.

Baked Homemade Mac & Cheese

Time: 1 hr, 15 mins
Makes 8 servings (one 9x13 pan) - I usually cut the ingredients in half and make it in my 8x8 pan...perfect for 2 with a few leftovers!

(source)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese (provolone also tastes awesome!)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 sleeve buttery round crackers, crushed
• 
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
3. Combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, milk, salt, and Cheddar cheese in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until the cheese is melted and the mixture thickens, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the macaroni and stir to coat. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix the 1/4 cup melted butter and crushed crackers together in a bowl; scatter the cracker mixture evenly over the macaroni mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes.