Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: cooking for one should be fun! Why not make yourself mac and cheese in a mini casserole dish? Exactly. Let’s get cooking!Last night, I began to wonder why I never make mac &  cheese and  it hit me. It’s SO boring! I mean, noodles and cheese…that’s it? I love having a mixture of flavors and textures in my food. Having variety not only makes for an interesting dish, but keeps me more satisfied.  Well, I guess it all depends on how you make it. This was delicious. All I needed was a simple side salad to complete the meal.Gather your ingredients. Macaroni noodles, 2% milk, white whole wheat flour, panko, basting oil (herb infused  oil), nutmeg, cayanne, cracked black pepper, butter, extra sharp cheddar and Gruyere cheese.Cook a serving of pasta according to directions. Drain well and set aside. Grate about 1/4 cup Gruyere and 1/8 cup extra sharp cheddar.In a small sauce pan over a low heat, add 1 TBS of butter.Once the butter has melted, whisk in 1 TBS of white whole wheat or all purpose butter until smooth.Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup plus 2 TBS 2% milk until smooth.Stir in cheese. MMMM chhhheessseee.Stir in spices. I just used a few cracks of black pepper, a pinch of cayanne and a pinch of nutmeg. A little goes a long way. Nutmeg+Gruyere = love. I wouldn’t have mac and cheese without it!When cheese is smooth. Turn off heat and add cooked noodles. Toss and pour the contents of the pan into a mini baking dish or ramekin.Combine 2 TBS Panko with 1/2 tsp basting oil (olive oil with dried herbs would also work well).Evenly spread panko over the noodles and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until golden.Severe with a simple salad and enjoy!

Single Girl’s Mac and Cheese

(serves 1, obviously but can easily be multipled!)

• 1 serving macaroni noodles, cooked to directions, drained and set aside
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 TBS white whole wheat or all purpose flour
• 1/4 + 2TBS 2% milk
• 1/4 cup Gruyere Cheese
• 1/8 cup Extra Sharp Cheddar
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of cayanne
• A few turns of fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 TBS panko
• 1/2 tsp herb infused olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Cook pasta according to directions (should be al dente). Drain and set aside.
3. Over a low heat, add 1 TBS of butter to a small sauce pan.
4. Add 1 TBS flour and whisk until smooth.
5. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth.
6. Stir in cheese and spices.
7. Add cooked noodles, toss and pour into a baking dish.
8. In a small bowl, mix together 2 TBS of panko with 1/2 tsp basting oil. Evenly spread the mixture over the noodles.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.

Enjoy,

Nora