Grandma Kathryn's Mac & Cheese

Ray's birthday is coming up soon, so in honor of him I decided to learn how to make one of his favorite dishes - Kathryn's Mac & Cheese.  Kathryn is a gifted southern cook.  The pro of this is that she cooks amazing food wherever she goes.  The con - like most good cooks, she can't just tell you how she made it.  One of my goals is to learn how she cooks.  I want to get together with her and so I can learn how she cooks.  She came over to my house today to teach me how to make her delicious Mac & Cheese.  Now this is super cheesy Mac & Cheese, so don't try to replicate if you're not ready for a lot of cheesy goodness :)  This recipe serves about 15.

Here's what you need:

1 package pasta (16 oz)

1/2 stick of butter

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups 2% milk (OR 2 cups 2% & 2 cups evaporated)
5 cups Velveeta cheese (20 oz) 
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Salt the water too... Don't ask me why, but I (and Kathryn too) always salt the water.

2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, pepper, and salt.  Lightly brown.

3. Gradually mix in milk until smooth.  Bring to a boil and cook awhile until it gets nice and thick.

4. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.

5. Sometimes the cheese won't all melt, so you may have to put it back on the heat... we had to do this.

6. Drain the pasta well and put in a dish.  My pasta sat there for awhile, so some of it stuck together.  Kathryn's solution (just like any good southern woman): Add some butter to it.  She put about 2 tablespoons of butter in it and that pasta was slippery and ready to go.

7. Put the sauce on top of the pasta and mix it together... yum!

8. I just covered the dish with plastic wrap and I put it in the fridge because I'm cooking it tomorrow.  If it looks a little "dry" when you bring it out of the fridge, you can pour some milk on top just to keep it rich and moist before you put it in the oven.  When you do cook it, cook it at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.  I love dishes that you can make ahead of time and just put in the oven when you're ready to eat.

And here's the great cook... Grandma Kathryn!  

I love having a family that knows how to cook... what a blessing!  Ray says that it makes me a food snob, but I just think that I appreciate good food :)