5 step mac-n-cheese

Top 5 loves in my life: God, my husband, my family, creating, macaroni and cheese!

My mom can whip up a macaroni and cheese that will leave you begging for seconds, thirds, fourths and more!  Growing up, it was a staple for Holidays and Sunday afternoon meals.  Now that I am married and living two and a half hours from Sunday afternoon meals, I have to make the mac-n-cheese.  Surprisingly enough, this homemade cheesy classic is pretty simple.  The best part is this recipe has no exact measurements (that may not seem like a good thing, but it is) so it can be made for a party of one or an army of many!  I've  broken it down into 5 simple steps...here they are!

Ingredients:
Elbow Macaroni Noodles
Salt and Pepper
Shredded Cheese
Butter
Milk
Cracker or Bread Crumbs*
*optional (I don't care for them, my husband loves 'em!)

You will need:
Oven Preheated to 350
Pot to boil noodles
See through dish to make macaroni in (to see how much milk, as you become a pro you can use dishes that aren't see through!)

Directions:
Step 1: Boil your noodles according to directions on the box.  (honestly, I've never measured an amount out...just an educated guess.  Don't worry if you have too much the left overs can be used for something else.  If you have too little, add more cheese!)

Step 2: Butter your dish.  Literally, get some butter on your fingers and put a light coat of butter over the entire inside of the dish you are making the mac-n-cheese in!  I've never used a spray butter or anything like that...I enjoy the messy part!

Step 3: Put a layer of noodles in your dish.  How thick this layer of noodles is depends on how deep your dish is and how many layers you want to make.  Salt and Pepper your noodles

Step 4: Cover your noodle layer with a layer of shredded cheese.  Once you get your cheese on, salt and pepper the layer and add some butter on top.  Repeat step 3 and 4 until your dish is full.

Step 5: Pour milk over your macaroni.  There is no right or wrong amount.  My husband likes his macaroni very milky, so I put a good bit.  My mom wold normally pour it in until she saw milk from half way to 2/3 of the way up the sides.  Now, the milk will not fill up the dish, it will pour over the noodles and cheese and soak through each layer.

There you go!  5 steps and you are ready to bake your masterpiece!  If you would like, before you bake the macaroni add the bread crumbs or crackers to the top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until you see the cheese on top browning and bubbling.

Enjoy your mac n cheese, trust me it won't be hard!  You can also add some seasoning, bacon pieces, anything you want!  My husband likes chili powder and crushed red peppers.  Me, I like the classic!  Get creative, get inspired!