Becca’s Macaroni and Cheese (The cheese maker’s wife)
This is a great recipe for winter, spring, summer and fall. If you’re looking for comfort food, this is one of those recipes everyone loves!
- 1 lb. pasta such as Fusilli or Penne
- 1 to 1.5 pounds of grated Young Belford James Ranch Artisan cheese
- ½ cup (1/4 pound) unsalted butter
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- ½ to 1 tsp. salt to taste
- ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- Dash cayenne
- Pepper to taste
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al denté. You want it slightly undercooked to avoid mushiness in the final product.
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add flour and cook, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes. Slowly add milk. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally at first and then constantly as it starts to thicken. This sauce will still be rather thin but will thicken more when baked.
- After the sauce has thickened a bit, add nutmeg, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Remove from heat and add 2/3 of the cheese, reserving 1/3 for the top. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Combine the pasta and cheese sauce and pour into a 9x13 pan. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. It should be all bubbly.
- Turn on the broiler for the last minute or two if the cheese on top did not get as brown and crispy as you like. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, if you can wait, and then serve.
