Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I haven't bought boxed macaroni and cheese in years because this is simply superior. It takes a little more time, but not much effort.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 - 2 c cheese (I normally use sharp cheddar)
• 1 c milk (I use 2% but skim works also)
• 3/4 lb pasta (I actually use campanelle but you can use penne, macaroni, etc...)

We'll start by making a roux. Melt butter in a medium sized pan on the stove. Once melted, whisk in flour. Allow the mixture to simmer for about a minute and continue whisking to ensure it does not start to burn. This is important because it eliminates the raw flour taste. Slowly start whisking in your milk. Simmer for a minute or so, then gradually start mixing in the cheese. You should end up with a rich, heavenly cheese sauce.

When the pasta is ready, drain and then combine your cheese and pasta (I normally just dump the pasta back into the pan and immediately pour the cheese on top. Mixing with a spatula tends to work the best for me.).

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is simple and you can jazz it up any way you like. I've added chipotle seasoning to the cheese sauce. I've also used different kinds of cheese like Gouda and have also added cream cheese. If you want this to be a heartier dish, add cooked cauliflower, corn or mushrooms -- I personally love it with mushrooms. Yum!