Did you know that making macaroni and cheese from scratch rather than a box gives this down home dish takes new dimension? The cheese sauce gives this dish its creamy, smoothness and the crostini bread crumbs top it off with a tasty, crispy texture. You can add more cayenne pepper and nutmeg to change it from mild to spicy!
After eating this hearty comfort dish, I took a walk in the rain…not planned since I am not a romantic who loves walking in the rain. It started raining when I wanted to walk and I discovered I delight in breathing fresh, nearly pollen-free air even when it is lightly raining.
What a great combination of experiences: great comfort food and a brisk walk in a gentle rain! So how about you make a batch for yourself? And maybe you can also take a walk in the rain while listening to “Walkin’” played by Miles Davis.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups skim milk
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 ounces yellow cheddar cheese, grated
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Dash nutmeg
- 20 pieces garlic crostini
- 1 pound large elbow macaroni
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9”x13” pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour.
- In a microwaveable bowl, warm milk for one minute on high power.
- Whisk milk into roux. Over medium heat, bring sauce to a simmer.
- Grate cheeses. Divide into fourths. Add and stir after each one-fourth addition.
- Lower the heat, while stirring, add cream, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. As soon as sauce thickens, remove from heat. Set aside.
- Cook the macaroni 4 minutes shorter than standard time. Drain. Place in the 9”x13” pan.
- Pour cheese sauce over macaroni. Stir gently to coat macaroni.
- In food processor, pulse crostini until fine bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of macaroni.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
