Macaroni and Cheese

Mac and cheese is one of those dishes that sound boring, but can be just as delicious as a “fancier” pasta dish like lasagne or pesto.
Yield	6 servings
Time	45 minutes
Tools	large saucepan whisk large baking dish
Ingredients	1 T butter 2 T milk 2 T flour 1 t dry mustard 1 t paprika 1½ c milk, hot ½ t salt 1 t pepper ¾ c cheese (cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, or a mix), shredded 3½ c macaroni or other small pasta, cooked 2 T sour cream (optional) 2 T bread crumbs
Directions	Preheat oven to 350 and lightly butter the baking dish. Heat 1 T butter with 2 T milk. When bubbly, whisk in the flour, mustard, and paprika. Keep stirring for 2 minutes, then gradually start whisking in the 1½ c milk. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Add salt, pepper, and cheese, and simmer until melted. Stir in the cooked pasta, then pour the pasta/cheese mixture into the baking dish. Dot the top all over with small drops of sour cream, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cook until brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Notes	Looking for a tasty cheese sauce for some veggies? Just leave out the pasta and toppings. Also see my recipes for noodles and cheese and Italian-style macaroni and cheese.
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