Classic old-fashioned baked macaroni and cheese comes together with just a little patience and a lot of butter, milk and cheese. Let it bake until bubbly for the most comforting meal ever.
Ingredients
3-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
few dashes hot pepper sauce
3-1/2 cups whole milk
5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
optional: crumbled cooked bacon and coarsely ground pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni in boiling water until almost tender; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard, pepper and pepper sauce until smooth. Cook and stir until bubbly, about 1 minute. Stir in cooked macaroni, milk and 4 cups cheese.
Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake until bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. If desired, top with bacon and pepper.
