There was a time in the not-so-distant past that our children would not eat macaroni and cheese unless it was one of those out-of-the-box, add-the-premade-cheese-stuff. It hurt me. It really did! I LOVE homemade mac ‘n cheese. For me, it is the ultimate comfort food. I didn’t want to serve the processed stuff to my kids. (I don’t really know what makes that powdered cheese look florescent orange!) So, the need for Fastest and Yummiest Mac ‘n Cheese was born!
Fast-forward a few years. I developed the Fastest and Yummiest Mac ‘n Cheese recipe to use for my foods’ students classroom labs. I loved it, plus it taught my students the difference between a roux, a béchamel, and a mornay sauce. (Fancy, oui?) Our daughter and son don’t know the difference between these, but I’ve finally found a mac ‘n cheese recipe that they like and I don’t mind feeding them. It’s creamy, satisfying, full of real ingredients, and just plain wonderful!
The best thing about the Fastest and Easiest Mac ‘n Cheese recipe is that you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry. So, you can whip up a batch within fifteen minutes of reading this post. 🙂
Fastest and Yummiest Mac ‘n Cheese Recipe…
You will need 1 T. butter, 1 T. flour, 1 1/2 c. macaroni, 1 c. milk, and 1 c. shredded cheese. (I prefer cheddar, but you can use whatever cheese makes you happy!)
First, get that macaroni cooking in a saucepan. This takes the longest. Boil your water, add the macaroni, and cook for 9-11 minutes. I tend to go toward the 9 minute end.
In a second saucepan, melt the 1 T. of butter. Add the flour and cook for several minutes to remove the raw flour flavor. However, stop before the flour mixture gets dark. You will have made a blonde roux! Good!
Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure to beat all the lumps out. You want a smooth sauce. Cook until thickened and bubbly. That’s your béchamel. Woo hoo! Almost there!!!
Finally, stir in your cheese. (You just accomplished a mornay.) By this point, your macaroni should be done, you can drain the water off the noodles, and then add the noodles to the cheese sauce. (Or add the cheese sauce to your drained noodles.) Now, season as you like and enjoy!
The Fastest and Yummiest Mac ‘n Cheese
Notes
Chopped ham or veggies can be added at the end of the recipe. Simply stir in and cook over low heat until add-ins are warmed.
Ingredients
- 1 T. butter
- 1 T. flour
- 1 cup milk
- Pinch salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
- 1 cup favorite shredded cheese (cheddar, colby/monterey jack, etc.)
- 1 c. frozen peas, chopped ham, brocolli spears, optional
Instructions
- Bring a 2 qt. pan of water to a boil. Cook macaroni noodles for 9-11 minutes, or until done.
- Melt butter over low heat in medium saucepan. Once melted, whisk in the flour slowly, making sure to combine well. Cook and stir over medium heat for several minutes (3 to 4 min.) to remove the “flour” flavor, but make sure it doesn’t darken in color. This is a roux.
- While roux is hot, slowly whisk in milk. This should take a good 30+ seconds. Do it slowly so that there are no lumps! After the sauce has thickened and is bubbly, stir in the salt and pepper.
- Remove the white sauce from heat and stir in cheese until melted and creamy.
- Combine cooked and drained macaroni and cheese sauce.
- For added color and nutrition, stir a handful of frozen peas, chopped ham, or broccoli florets into the finished mac‘n cheese, cooking over low heat a few minutes until done.
Hopefully, your family will fall in love with this easy dish and it can save you precious time in the kitchen. For some added nutrition, throw in a handful of frozen peas and cook a few extra minutes. Or, serve with a lovely spinach salad. Either way, it will be a hit that you should feel good about serving your family. Be well! 🙂