Pioneer Woman's Macaroni & Cheese

I'm about to ask you a very important question. Ready? Do you have a really good Macaroni & Cheese recipe? Well...do you? If you don't or think the recipe you have could use replacing, get your pen and paper out or turn your printer on right this minute.

I found this recipe over at Pioneer Woman. Here is the link to her pictures and recipe. I used a half pound monterey jack cheese and a half pound swiss. (PW suggests using cheddar or any combination of cheeses.) I also sprinkled the top of mine with seasoned bread crumbs before baking it. I love breadcrumbs on my baked macaroni and cheese.

Macaroni & Cheese (Pioneer Woman's Recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated (cheddar or any combination of cheeses)
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

It's rainy and cool here this week, the perfect time to squeeze in another comfort food dish before we all start eating baby greens and asparagus. Pin It