Mac and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese and I think that my Mom's recipe is the best in the world.  When I went to college, my roommate had to teach me how to make macaroni and cheese from a box.  I only knew how to make the homemade stuff.   I am going to post 2 macaroni and cheese recipes today.  The first one is my Mom's recipe.  The second one is from the Pioneer Woman.  My Mom's recipe uses velveeta (my favorite guilty pleasure) and the Pioneer Woman's recipe uses cheddar.  Other than that, they are very similar recipes. The one made with velveeta is much creamier than the one made with cheddar.  I know that velveeta isn't really cheese, and it has an odd ingredient list, so I wanted to try a recipe that used cheddar.  I ended up adding some provolone and smoked gouda to the cheddar recipe.  It was really good...but I still like my mom's recipe better.  Both of these recipes can be baked, but I didn't bake mine.  I really like the creaminess of the sauce right out of the pan.  Since I wasn't baking it, I left out the egg in the Pioneer Woman's recipe.  I also cut the amount of pasta in half because I knew that a full amount would be way too big for my family.  If you want to make a full recipe or bake the maccaroni and cheese, this is the link to the Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese.

Mom's Macaroni and Cheese
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
8 ounces velveeta, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

1) Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Drain, but do not rinse.  Set aside.
2) While macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat (I use my cast-iron for this).  When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir constantly until you have a nice, smooth mixture. 
3) Add the ground mustard and milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce bubbles and begins to thicken (about 5 minutes).
4) Add the velveeta and stir over low heat until the cheese is melted.
5) Add the macaroni, salt, and pepper to the sauce.  Stir to mix.
6) The best side dish for this recipe is a slice of white bread topped with peanut butter and honey, folded in half.


The Pioneer Woman's Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

2 cups dried macaroni
¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
¼ cups all-purpose Flour
2-½ cups whole milk
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 pound cheese, grated  (I used cheddar, smoked gouda, and provolone)
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

1) Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
2) In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
3) Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
4) Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed!
5) Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.