Baked Macaroni & Cheese

If you originally found my blog and stayed here because of recipes... well, I hope you haven't left me. But truthfully, I would understand if you had, because I've posted maybe two recipes in the last six months. Ouch.

Unfortunately, my reality right now is that we're lucky to even get dinner on the table each night. Between work, Nora, house projects, and regular errands/chores, we are just BUSY. We don't have much time to experiment with new recipes, and I rarely EVER have time to bake anymore. And when I do make a new recipe, half the time I forget to take photos of it as I'm throwing food on the tray of a high chair with a very hungry and impatient toddler sitting in it.

Earlier this fall, as we tried to beef up the list of foods that Nora would eat, I set out to make her some macaroni and cheese. But I wasn't going to make her the blue box variety; oh, no, that would've been too easy (and just so... processed). Instead, I sought out a homemade recipe that would not only make a great toddler dinner, but a grown-up dinner as well. We tried a few recipes, and they were good, but I made so many alterations to them that they were hard to replicate. (For the record, Nora loves macaroni and cheese. She's not picky about it, except that funny enough, she will not touch the blue box stuff. I've created a macaroni and cheese snob. Whoops.)

Then, a few weeks ago, we were looking for something to make for a potluck gathering at my in-laws' house. We agreed that macaroni and cheese would be great, but wanted a recipe we could make a few hours ahead of time and then bake at my in-laws'. Enter this recipe from our favorite grocery store, Wegmans.

This is comfort food at its finest. And it's a tremendously simple macaroni and cheese--using just sharp cheddar, with a little parmesan sprinkled on top. Of course, this can be easily adapted by changing up the types of cheese if you so choose. It starts off with a simple roux, add whole milk, and then... well, by then, you're through the difficult part. So, snuggle up in front of a fire with a bowl of this cheesy goodness and let it help you get through the winter. You won't regret it.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Source: Wegmans)

Ingredients:
- 1 lb. elbow pasta
- 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- 5 tbsp. butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Directions:
1. Start heating water for pasta. Mix bread crumbs and parmigiano-reggiano cheese together in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat butter in large sauce pan over medium heat until melted. Add flour; stir until smooth. Cook 3-4 minutes until light golden brown.

3. Add milk to butter mixture, one cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth; bring to boil. Cook 10 minutes on medium, whisking continuously.

4. Add cheddar cheese; stir until melted completely. Season with salt and nutmeg; set aside. Stir in cooked pasta.

5. Spray bottom and sides of baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; add pasta/cheese mixture. Top with bread crumb mixture.

6. Bake on center rack 15-20 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and bubbling around edges.