20 Minute 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, it is cheesy and delicious! I love homemade macaroni and cheese, I love that I can put as much cheese in as I want and I get to pick the kinds of cheese. I love the flavor of regular mac and cheese, with cheddar, but I also love to put mozzarella, gouda, parmesan and white cheddar in it. Something as simple as a different cheese can give it a totally different taste.
You can also add anything else you want to the mac and cheese or change the noodles. This is a meal that is very versatile. You can even cook it ahead of time and reheat it on the stove or in the oven. It is a great way to feed a lot of people also. And who doesn't love mac and cheese???
This recipe is very simple, but I am not going to lie, the first time I tried to make a sauce out of milk, flour and cheese, it did not turn out good. I had been watching a food show on tv and the host made a cheesy dip that I really wanted to try, so I got all the ingredients and attempted to make it. My sauce would not thicken. I had no idea what to do. So naturally, I threw the whole mess in the garbage and did not attempt it again for years. Now I cannot believe I was missing out on this delicious sauce for years! I convinced my husband to try to make the sauce, he was able to do it so eventually I tried it again and it worked perfect. I have no idea what I did wrong the first time, but I am just glad I can do it now. The base sauce recipe is good for mac and cheese, dips, casseroles, even gravy if you leave out the cheese. So I do have to say, I am so very glad I finally mastered it!
The first thing I do it put water on the stove to boil, while I boil the water I grate the cheese to get ready for the sauce. The sauce itself only takes a few minutes to cook so I wait until I add the noodles to the water before I start it. I measure all my ingredients out for the sauce while I wait for the water, I have heard it is better to let your milk warm up a bit before using it, I am not sure if it matters, but that is what I do. When the water starts to boil, I add the noodles to the water and I also add the butter to a separate pan. When it is melted, I add the flour and mix them very well. I cook the mixture for about 1 minute then I add the milk. Then I just whisk it all until it thickens, it took about 3 - 4 minutes. When it is thick, I add the seasonings, you can add whatever seasoning sounds good to you. I do not always add the same ones, except cayenne, I always use cayenne, I love the flavor! Then is the best part, I add the cheese. When the noodles are done, I drain the water from the then add them to the sauce. You can be done here or you can add meat (ground hamburger/turkey/chicken, chunks of chicken, kielbasa, hot dogs, whatever you like) and/or vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn, etc). I always make enough to have leftovers, the second night I make it into a casserole and bake it in the oven, I am doing that tonight so I will post the recipe once I get the pictures taken.
This recipe goes great with our garden green beans or roasted vegetables we have on the blog!
You do not have to use elbow noodles, you can use any kind you like. The picture above is mini penne noodles, those are great with this, as are rotini. Any noodle you have on hand will work, so try a few different ones and pick your favorite, or do what my family does, we use different noodles and cheese all the time!
20 Minute 3 Cheese
Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1lb elbow noodles
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
3 cups milk
2 cups sharp cheddar
1 cup medium cheddar
1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic powder
Directions
Fill a pot with water, boil
While water heats, grate cheese and measure all other ingredients
Add noodles to boiling water
In separate pan, melt butter, once melted, add flour. Mix well, cook for 1 minute
Add milk to butter/flour mixture, cook until thick, about 3 to 4 minutes
Once thickened, add seasoning to sauce
Add cheese to sauce, stir
Noodles will take about 12 minutes, drain when done then add to sauce
Either serve or refrigerate
