Cozy up this weekend with a comfy classic, BETTER than Grandma used to make!

If my oldest daughter was stuck on a desert island left with one food for eternity, it would be my homemade mac and cheese. I named this recipe “Shifty Mac & Cheese” because although the total calories per serving of this dish seem pretty reasonable at first glance (under 300 calories), the fat per serving is a tad…steep. But Hey, who cares. Some foods conjure up emotion, and that’s what mac and cheese does for people, it is the ultimate comfort food. It’s your grandma and your mommy wrapped up in one delicious bowl.

Now is the time in this post when I get real, and lay down some truths; growing up I never ate homemade macaroni and cheese. Not once. Ever.

What can I say, Mom hated pasta. A deep seated resentment from the time my grandmother left her and her sister at home to make themselves lunch, they cooked an entire bag of noodles, instead of fessing up, they ate all the evidence before their mother could return. The sight of it afterwards disgusted her and as a result, years later, I was deprived of my fair share of cheese.

And so as I came of age and was thrust into a world that didn’t understand me, fate undoubtly led me to a man who grew up on this home style classic and suddenly without warning I found myself wheeling and dealing with my future mother in law for recipes of his favorite dishes.

I have come to realize (albeit late in life perhaps) that mac and cheese comes in a variety of forms. You can even buy it in a box. I have seen the noodle and cheese layering technique, coated in milk and baked to a bubbly goodness. I’ve seen yummy additions to tweak this comfy favorite, bacon, various veggies, which I ALWAYS include. But what I have come to realize is that what sets good mac and cheese apart from AMAZING mac and cheese is the SAUCE.

CHEESE SAUCE. Every time I say the words a chorus of angels start singing somewhere.

Some people skip this step, and hey, if you’re in a hurry and have to slap together a fast meal, then you go ahead and layer that cheese with those noodles, add that milk and pop it in that oven like the boss babe/dude that you are, no explanation required!

But…If you have a little time and want to blow their minds with cheesiness, go ahead and drown all of those ingredients in a delicious hot mess.

I felt intimidated the first time I attempted to make cheese sauce, I assumed I would scald the milk and have to make several attempts before I reached the right consistency, but I surprised myself and now realize how silly I was to be so nervous, the process is simple.

You start with your rue. Equal parts flour and butter (or the oil of your choice, but for a creamy cheese sauce, good old fashioned butter takes the cake). Stir over medium heat just until you reach a golden brown. Don’t let it go too far, we’re making a béchamel sauce, not a gumbo! You’re cooking the “flour” taste away, it should smell sort of…nutty. Time to lower the temperature and slowly add your cream or whole milk, tempering it as you pour. Whisk together, stir it constantly. when it begins to thicken, begin adding your cheeses.

When everything is all melty and smooth, season with some black pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce (to each their own!) and pour it all over your remaining prepared ingredients.