What's your favorite Comfort Food?

I have many, but mac & cheese is definitely one of them and NOT from the box!! So I am on the hunt for some good homemade macaroni and cheese recipes. My first recipe to try comes from The Pioneer Women , which I found on another blog ( just can't remember which one) that had some rave reviews. I've seen recipes from The Pioneer Women all over the Internet so I thought this would be a good place to start.

Doesn't this look delicious? It was a pretty quick and easy recipe to follow and lucky enough for me, I already had all the ingredients so no extra trip to the store which is even better! You can choose to bake your mac & cheese or not, either way it's still good! I decided to throw mine in the oven afterwards because 1. it gives me an excuse to add extra cheese on top and all for more cheese, and 2. I like getting that crisp golden top layer I think it just adds more to the texture when you first bite in! Yum!

Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients

• 4 cups dried macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tsp dry mustard, more if desired
• 1 egg
• 1 lb cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt, more to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Optional Spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Directions:
Cook macaroni as directed on package. In a small bowl, beat egg, set aside. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until very thick, reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly, stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce ans add more salt and seasoned salt as needed. Do Not Undersalt. Pour in drained, cook macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately OR pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

And it's Time to Eat!