Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Everyone has a certain way they like certain foods. For example, I like my steaks still moo-ing but my burgers blackened, and my mom and mother-in-law both agree that the blue M&Ms "just taste...different." Until recently, though, no one was more stubborn than my husband and the way he liked his macaroni and cheese. For him, it had always been the Kraft blue box or bust, but I was determined to make a mac that would change his mind and convert him from to "just-add-cheese-product" to homemade.

The weird thing is, I remember making plenty of delicious, warm and gooey macaroni and cheese dishes prior to this one, but for Mark, THIS was the one that hit the spot. We both gobbled up every last morsel of macaroni and crispy crumb topping, and later had trouble packing up the leftovers without sneaking another spoonful or two!

When you make macaroni and cheese, you should make sure that the pasta is cooked al dente, or "firm to the tooth", because the hot cheese sauce will continue to cook the pasta the rest of the way. If the pasta is already fully cooked, you'll end up with overcooked pasta that doesn't hold its shape.


I know we're still in the middle of summer, but there's nothing like a little warm comfort food to welcome the upcoming fall season (I can't wait for cool weather already!).