My recipe is a conglomeration of every macaroni recipe I've found out there... it's as close to "my own" as I have ever come up with. I've never measured the cheese, just play it by ear and keep tasting the sauce until it looks, feels, and tastes right. The key is to add a lot of sauce; it will get soaked up by the noodles and if you don't have enough, the dish will be dry.
A bit of goat cheese would probably be good, or adding some crumbled feta to the macaroni and sauce mix would be great. Some people add Velveeta, but if I'm going to go out of my way to make a home-style dish, I want it to be comprised of what I would consider to be "real food". Adding vegetables is never a bad idea; most people add tomatoes, but I add broccoli and mushrooms.
Now I'm hungry!
Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2.5 cups milk
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1.25 cups aged white cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup smoked Gouda, grated
3/4 cup old yellow cheddar, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Boil macaroni until not quite done, about 6 minutes. Drain and put aside.
While macaroni is cooking, melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Sauté the onions, and then blend in the flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for about a minute. Slowly add the milk milk, whisking continually, and beating out any lumps. Bring to a boil and then add Dijon mustard. Continue to whisk as it thickens, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the white cheddar and Gouda cheeses, and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth. I like to add the macaroni to the sauce before adding it to the casserole dish. Transfer the pasta and sauce to the casserole dish, cover in yellow cheddar, and top with Parmesan and bread crumbs.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until sauce is thick and bubbly. Take out of oven and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
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