Easy Mac...without the microwave

So did you ever wonder if people ate macaroni and cheese before the invention of the blue box of wonder? I'm pretty sure they did. I don't know if it was quite as good as the macaroni that I made tonight, but if it was, they were lucky.

So it's 9:30 and I went to the pantry and realize that if I cook an actual meal, it'll be at least 10:30 before it was done. So, upon further examination, I see a box of elbow macaroni, rice, spaghetti and cereal. The fridge had cheese, milk, butter, bread and jelly. and beer. don't judge me. So Macaroni and Cheese it is!! (I don't know about y'all, but I'm the kind of person that can eat macaroni and cheese no matter what. Like, I show up at your place and your grandma is cooking and says, "hey, ya hungry, hon?" Of course, I'd politely say no...but then grandma whips out the mac and cheese. Next thing I know, I've got a bowl of the mac and a spoon.)

Anyways, here's how to make the absolute best (and easiest) macaroni and cheese you'll ever eat. I apologize in advance to your mother, just in case you slap her.

1 1/2 cup water
1 cup dry elbows
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon butter
fresh ground pepper

1. Boil the water and most of the salt and add the macaroni elbows. When the elbows are cooked, drain them well. Put them back in the original sauce pan while you're waiting for the cheese sauce to cook.
2. In a separate sauce pan, heat the milk on a low temperature setting. You HAVE to be cautious with the milk because if it gets too hot too quickly, it'll burn or be gross.
3. Add the butter, remaining salt and a few good shakes of pepper to the milk. Let the butter melt and keep stirring the mixture.
4. Add all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese and the mozzarella cheese to the milk. Stir almost CONSTANTLY! If not it'll be kinda clumpy and it'll take longer for the cheese to melt.
5. After the first bit of cheese has melted and is no longer visible in the milk, add the last little bit of cheddar. Let everything melt together and keep stirring.
**If it looks a little thin, add a bit of corn starch. If you don't have any, add the tiniest bit of flour-half a teaspoon tops- and stir constantly. Adding flour will make it kinda grainy...no me gusta.**

OK! Once the macaroni and the cheese sauce are both cooked, just dump the drained macaroni noodles into the cheese sauce and mix it all up. You're done! You'll have the best damn macaroni since the blue box came along!

Happy cooking!

amy