It Was A Mac & Cheese Kind Of Day

Yesterday was a mac and cheese kind of day. It was cold, rainy and just gross outside.

Since both Nate and I work full time and don't get home from work until 5:30 or after, making dinner gets a little tricky because we are both starving by then and to make a good healthy dinner would mean we would not get to eat until 6:30 or 7... so I have worked out a way to make dinner in the morning! Since I love to coupon, our meals for the week are planned out ahead of time because that way I know what I will need and can find a coupon for it. I'm also a huge fan of making dinner the night or day before so that the next day you just have to heat it up. It takes some planning and some time because sometimes I'm making two dinners at the same time, one for that night and one for the next night, but this way we don't spend money eating out and we can make sure to eat things that are better for us than pizza, or take out.

Thankfully this week I had picked home made mac and cheese as a meal and today was the perfect day to have it!!! So yesterday morning while I got ready for work I cooked the pasta and made the saucy cheese part for our mac and cheese. Then when I got home at 5:30 all I had to do was sprinkle a little cheese and bread crumbs on top and put it in the oven for 15 minutes while I fed the dogs and got a few things done around the house.

I found this recipe in a Reader's Digest while sitting in the waiting room at the Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital before a Dr. apt one day! I ripped it out and have used it ever since!! It's my FAVORITE way to eat mac and cheese, I never really had the boxed stuff as a kid and so I just can't stomach that weird orange powder you mix in... if we are going to have mac and cheese it's going to be real. :)

1 80z package elbow macaroni (we use whole grain pasta, tastes great!)

1 Tbsp butter or margarine (I only use 1 Tbsp... still yummy!)

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt (I cut out the salt, there is already salt in butter)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp ground red pepper (I usually use a little more because it makes it a little spicy and that is my favorite part!)

1 8oz block of cheddar cheese, shredded and divided (I just buy a bag of shredded cheese)

preheat oven to 400

prepare pasta. keep warm.

melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk in flour until smooth. Cook whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cook whisking constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat stir in salt, black and red pepper, 1 cup shredded cheese and cooked pasta. put in baking dish, top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs. bake at 400 for 15 min or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.