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Recipe by Nicki Sizemore
Founder of From Scratch Fast, Nicki is a trained chef, cookbook author and recipe developer. Her mission is to help busy families get fresh, wholesome and downright delicious food on the table any night of the week. All of her recipes are naturally gluten-free.
Learn MoreHomemade Mac and Cheese
This irresistible and easy homemade mac ‘n’ cheese features a cheesy sauce that your kids are going to love. We then sneak in more nutrition by mix-and-matching add-ins like cooked veggies, cooked chicken, and crumbled bacon—it’s a great way to use up what’s in your fridge! For more garlic flavor, mince the garlic clove and keep it in the sauce. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free noodles and flour. This is sure to become a new weeknight favorite!
5 MIN PREP
30 MIN COOK
35 MIN TOTAL
4 servings
Ingredients
Salt
8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed (or minced)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 cups add-ins: cooked broccoli, peas, carrots, spinach; diced or shredded cooked chicken; crumbled bacon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 F (230 C) and place rack in the upper 1/3 of the oven. Butter a 1-quart baking dish.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions until it’s just shy of al dente (it should be a touch chewy—it will finish cooking in the oven) - Drain.
While the pasta cooks, in a separate medium pot, heat the butter and garlic over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the garlic smells fragrant, about 3 minutes. Discard the garlic if desired.
Add the flour to the garlic butter and cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Very slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce starts to bubble and thickens, 2 to 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add 1 1/4 cups of the cheese. Stir with a rubber spatula until melted (don’t let it boil). Remove the pot from the heat and season sauce with salt to taste and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the cooked noodles and desired add-ins; fold to combine. Season with more salt to taste. Transfer the mac ‘n’ cheese to the prepared dish and spread it in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
Bake in the upper 1/3 of the oven until the cheese on top is melted and golden brown in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
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