New Year's Eve Mac & Cheese

For the second year in a row, we headed over to the Stanley's for dinner on NYE. Mike and I decided to stay in this year and relax instead of going to a party. Dinner + Dexter with the Hubs was a great end to 2010!

I brought mac & cheese and got some great comments on it! (Hearing people liked your food is such a great feeling!) I wasn't planning on putting the recipe up so I didn't take any photos... I have been really bad at taking photos the last week or so but here's the recipe -


Mac & Cheese

1 lb. favorite noodles (pick something that will hold the sauce... I used shells this time)
1 stick butter, unsalted
4 cups milk (I had 2 cups 2% and 2 cups whole on hand)
1 smashed garlic clove (optional)
1/2 cup flour
6 cups grated cheese (I had 3 cups sharp cheddar, 2 cup sharp white cheddar, and 1 cup of Romano at home)
Garlic bread or croutons

Boil noodles in salty water until just under al dente (they will continue cooking in the oven). Drain and set aside.

Pour milk into saucepan and warm over low heat. Melt the stick of butter over low heat with the smashed garlic clove. Increase heat to medium low, remove garlic and sprinkle flour over butter, stirring to incorporate. Cook flour & butter 2 to 4 minutes until the flour has been absorbed and the mixture is a golden color. Whisk in warmed milk and let sauce thicken (mine took 12 to 15 minutes). (Stir often during the thickening process.) Take pot off heat and add in grated cheeses. Salt & pepper to taste.

Pour noodles and cheese sauce into buttered 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly. While baking, put garlic bread or croutons into food processor and pulse to desired consistency. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mac & cheese after baking. Put back into oven on top rack to brown the breadcrumbs, this should only take a few minutes. Pull out of the oven once the top is browned. Don't burn the roof of your mouth when you take a scoop right after you pull it out of the oven :)

*And yes, it sounds like a lot of milk and cheese... however, to get a thick and creamy sauce, they are both needed! Don't be scared. Just make a mental note to either hit the gym or not eat the whole dish yourself :)