White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

We had a Clue game night and had lots of leftover cheese and crackers. We even had extra sharp white cheddar cheese so I decided to make macaroni and cheese. I've made this recipe a few times and have really liked it so I decided to change it up a bit. The essentials stayed the same but just shook things up with the cheese. It turned out nice, not overwhelming even though the white cheddar is strong. I love adding bread crumbs to my pasta dishes because it adds just a nice touch of crispness. Go ahead and use your favorite variety of cheese. One of our favorite dishes is Alpermagronen, a Swiss macaroni, cheese, and potato, which I make with pepper jack cheese. Be brave and experiment, you never know what might end up being really great.

White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

6 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup flour

Salt and pepper

4 1/4 cups hot milk

2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

1 lb macaroni, cooked

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook stirring constantly until light brown (about 3 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in hot milk 1/4 cup at a time and cook whisking constantly until sauce thickens.

Add cheese one cup at a time and stir each addition until incorporated into the sauce. Reserve the last cup of cheese.

Combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce. Place half in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese over pasta and add the other half. Distribute the bread crumbs over the top. Bake until crust is golden and interior is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.