Hearty homemade mac & cheese recipe

When I’m stressed out, nothing consoles me like a big bowl of creamy, homemade macaroni and cheese—Kraft Dinner doesn’t cut it.

This recipe is more of an indulgent treat than a weekly staple, but it never fails to pick me up when I’m down or impress those I share it with. The best part: a batch of it will last a few days and taste just as good, if not better, reheated.

If the upcoming week is demanding for you, fire up the stove, grab a wooden spoon and trust that this mac and cheese will make it a whole lot better.

Ingredients

—8 oz dry macaroni

—1/4 cup butter

—1/3 cup all-purpose flour

—3 cups whole milk (may substitute with skim, 1%, or 2% milk)

—250g brick of cream cheese (cubed)

—3 oz sharp orange cheddar (grated) or cold-packed cheddar (crumbled)

—1 squirt of yellow mustard

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. While it cooks, prepare the cheese sauce.
2. Start the cheese sauce by melting butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour and continue mixing and cooking for about two minutes. You should be left with a paste called a “roux.”
3. Gradually add milk to the sauce, whisking until the paste is completely dissolved. Once the mixture is fully combined, let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens. The sauce may be thin at this stage, but will be thicker than regular milk.
4. Turn the heat down to low, and slowly add the cream cheese and cheddar. Stir until melted. Add salt and pepper and a squirt of mustard for taste.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and mix gently but thoroughly. Although it may look like you have too much sauce, the pasta absorbs a lot of it.