Easiest Way to Cook Appetizing Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese. Forget about the blue box (you know what I'm talking about) and make homemade mac and cheese for a weeknight dinner. The ham, peas, and optional hot sauce add some pizzazz to classic mac and cheese. Adjust the consistency of the mac and cheese sauce to suit your personal preference.

Sharp cheddar cheese has been aged longer than regular cheddar. As cheese ages, its flavor becomes more pronounced. Using aged cheese in a recipe can add complexity and rich flavor, even to humble favorites like mac 'n' cheese. You can cook Mac and Cheese using 10 ingredients and 4 steps. Here is how you achieve that.

Ingredients of Mac and Cheese

1. Prepare 1 lb of elbow pasta.
2. You need 1/2 cup of flour.
3. It's 1 tsp of onion powder.
4. You need 1 of salt and pepper to taste.
5. You need 5 cup of whole or 2% milk.
6. You need 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (4oz).
7. You need 4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (16 oz).
8. You need of Topping.
9. It's 15 of crushed ritz crackers.
10. You need 1 tbsp of melted butter.

Unless otherwise specified, Taste of Home recipes are tested with lightly salted butter. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. The BEST Homemade Mac and Cheese of your LIFE.

Mac and Cheese instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to box, drain, set aside..
2. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour, then add onion powder, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and mixture begins to boil. Add the cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat pasta..
3. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Mix together the crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter until all of the crumbs are moistened. Sprinkle on top of pasta mixture..
4. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbly, let stand for 10 minutes and serve..

Outrageously cheesy, ultra creamy, and topped with a crunchy Panko-Parmesan topping, this mac and cheese recipe is most definitely a keeper. I used three different cheese and a homemade cheese sauce to take this macaroni and cheese recipe over the top. I've been working to perfect a creamy, spicy mac and cheese for years. After adding smoky bacon, chicken, jalapenos and spicy cheese, this is the ultimate! Remove from the pan and cut into bite-size pieces.