hello and goodbye.

Weeew hello multiply, it's been too long! So now I'm back to archive some recipes..haha

Here's one all time fave: baked mac and cheese. I've been trying out a lot of recipes but this one is the best so far. Got it from the "Handle the Heat" blog. I get most of my new recipes there now. The recipes are simple and they come out successful each and everytime! For this recipe, she adapted it from How to Cook Everything.


Baked Mac & Cheese
From How to Cook Everything
Serves 4-6

Salt
21/2 cups milk (low-fat is fine)
2 bay leaves
1 pound elbow, shell, ziti, or other cut pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
pinch cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup or more bread crumbs, preferably fresh
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let stand.

Cook the pasta to the point where it is almost done but you would still think it needed another minute or two to become tender. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop the cooking, and put it in a large bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about 1/4 cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk and continue to do so until all the milk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the cheddar and stir.

Pour the sauce over the noodles, toss in the Parmesan, and sprinkle with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch or similar-size baking pan and turn the pasta mixture into it. Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until bubbling and the crumbs turn brown, about 15 minutes. Serve piping hot.



This is so yummy I tell you! I forgot to take a photo though. It was wiped out in seconds. :)