Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbl butter or margarine
2 cups elbows macaroni (uncooked)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups milk
Salt & Pepper
Optional: breadcrumbs, ham, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°

 

Melt butter in 7x11 glass baking dish. Place macaroni into melted butter and stir to coat. Sprinkle cheese over the macaroni and pour milk on top. Throw in some salt and pepper and you're good to go.

Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of ~ the Queen B herself, my mother!

Now, this is honestly the easiest macaroni and cheese ever, in life. You don't even have to cook the macaroni first!!! A few tips/caveats:

1.  I usually use butter- I always use 3 Tbl but then it gets a little greasy on the bottom. I think with margarine you're ok to use 3 Tbl but if using butter, 2 is probably best. To save time, I actually throw the butter in the dish, and put it in the oven while it is pre-heating. By the time it's melted, and you have everything put together, the buzzer should be going off that you're at 350° and ready to go!
2. One bag of shredded cheese is two cups. This is enough cheese for sure, but if you want it to be cheesy I would say to use a little extra. I also reccomend using regular cheese as opposed to reduced fat. I know, I know, this is not the most health conscious recipe... but what M&C really is? RF Cheese just doesn't melt the same way and if you want it to be ooey and gooey, it is worth the extra caloric intake.
3. Optional ingredients are just that! I sometimes will add breadcrumbs for a little extra seasoning, or if you are in the mood for meat, ham is a great addition. I suppose you could throw in peas/bacon if you were so inclined too, maybe different cheese flavors too- the possiblities are endless. I find that it usually takes the full 60 mins to cook through, so plan accordingly. I would put the breadcrumbs on top maybe at 35-40 mins.

If you're in need of an easy weeknight meal, this is it. While it does take a little while to cook, it literally takes 5 minutes to put together. And it tastes great!