I grew up eating Kraft macaroni and cheese, and still to this day, it holds a certain nostalgic value. However, since we avoid food dyes and processed foods, I make my own when I get a craving. It is a little more involved than just cracking open the package of cheese powder and adding milk and butter, but not much.
I have two macaroni and cheese recipes that I regularly make. One is my “company” baked mac and cheese, my mother-in-law’s recipe, which is super delicious and trust, I will not share that here, lest I want to be kicked out of the kitchen for life.
But this one, is also super good and what I want to make on-the-fly. It can be done in less than 30 minutes, start to cleanup, and the kids love it. Win, win, right? While it won’t win any awards for its health benefits, it is definitely tastier and healthier than the kind from a box, and only requires a minimal amount more time and effort.
Stovetop Mac & Cheese
- 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Scant tablespoon of flour
- Several shakes of Red Hot, or other comparable hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook noodles to al dente. Drain over colander.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, red hot, salt, pepper, and mustard together.
- In the same pot, melt the butter and whisk the flour into it over medium-low heat. Add the egg-milk mixture and cook until the mixture thickens, stirring consistently.
- Add the cheese and continue stirring until melted. Add the noodles, stir to coat, and serve.
