Nana's Mac & Cheese

There is nothing like warm comfort food and one of mine, and my family's, favorite comfort foods is "Nana's mac & cheese." For years and years my Nana has visited my parents for a week at a time during one or each of the various seasons of the year. When her visit is scheduled, the discussion of her making mac & cheese begins before she even arrives. When I was younger, there was something glorious about when Nana made her mac & cheese for us- although I'm sure Mom makes it just as well! I guess there is just something about her being there and making it especially for us during her visits.

To the left are some of the lovely ladies in my family- Nana is third from the right in the back row. We were decked out in aprons while we prepared Thanksgiving dinner.

Nowadays, with my own home and family, I make the mac & cheese myself. And although it's not Nana making it, I'm glad to say mine is good enough to please Hubby... he was unaware I was making it for dinner tonight (he came home after work and collapsed in his chair with his foot up and back to the kitchen) and in a cute way that likely only I appreciate, he said, "I didn't know you were making this tonight." Also known as, "yay for mac & cheese!"

Below are the ingredients and how to steps to make this warm and wonderful comfort food:

8 oz cooked elbow macaroni
4 tblsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tblsp. butter
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Start the water boiling for the macaroni and then put the pasta in and cook it until slightly tender.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the pasta is cooking, start the roué by melting the butter over medium-high heat.

Once the butter has melted, add the flour and salt.

Stir until most of the lumps have dissolved.

Add the milk gradually and stir until the mixture is thickened.

Congratulations, you've just made a roué!

Now add the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

Add the pasta and cheesey roué to a bake-safe bowl and mix together.

Sprinkle the top with cheese and stick it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the top elbows are kind of crunchy lookin'.

Baked and ready for eating!

In our house, mac & cheese is typically served with the special family "sauce." If you are interested in adding to the deliciousness of homemade mac & cheese, mix equal parts of the following and pour over top of the mac: ketchup, cider vinegar, sugar, and vegetable oil. I know it sounds kind of strange, but it is DELICIOUS. Oh, and I also sprinkled with a little black pepper.

P.S. It is incredibly hard for me to eat just one serving of this... although tonight I did. Nevermind that the first and only serving was HUGE. :)

P.S.S. To those dear readers who have seen this recipe elsewhere, please be advised that although I know my Nana did not make up this recipe on her own, it's way better to think that she did. Thank you for being sensitive. ♥

"Kelly's Mission" for the day was to clean all the counters in the kitchen (zone 2). And it wasn't just a normal wipe down, it was a move stuff out of the way and seriously wipe it down. I'm glad I regularly wipe mine down because it made this task a lot easier than it could have been. I also made sure the sink was cleaned out and the dishes were done right away/as I was cooking, as well as cleaning off my counter hot spot. I can't tell you how much nicer a home is to live in when you do these small things on a regular basis!