Macaroni & Cheese

At my house, there is a dispute over which mac o' cheese is the best. Kenz will only eat Kraft brand, and it must be a shape of some sort. Twirly, Spongebob, Scooby Doo, it does not matter, just as long as it is not the regular package. Strange, I know. And Kade will only eat Kraft brand regular noodle. So no matter what I do, one of the kiddos is not going to eat. And this is Mac o' cheese for heaven's sake! Aren't all kids suppose to love it and be happy? Well, I guess my two did not get that memo. So I decided to try and make this recipe and see if that would work. It is from the Pioneer Woman. And it did for a little bit, but they found other reasons to not like what I made for dinner. I personally think that they have made a book of excuses for dinner time. I am hoping that they publish it soon. Then I can afford to make 2-3 different meals for dinner.

This recipe even surprised Jas and myself. He had two large helpings and took some to work for lunch. So I say it was a winner. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think.

Mac o' Cheese

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping tsp dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp season salt

* Cook macaroni until very firm. It should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
* In a small bowl, beat egg.
* 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!!
* Pour in milk, add mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until very thick, and reduce heat to low.
* Take 1/4 cup of sauce and pour our over beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk until smooth.
* Pour egg mixture into sauce, and whisk until smooth.
* Add cheese and stir to melt.
* Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt or pepper as needed.
* Do not under salt.
* Pour over cooked macaroni.

You can serve this immediately or pour it into a butter backing dish, top it with extra cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Both ways are really good. I guess it just depends on the mood you are in.