The first actual meal I remember my mom teaching me to make as a kid was Homemade Macaroni & Cheese. My sisters and I absolutely loved when my mom pulled out her old Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1960’s, stained with splatters, the front and back covers hanging by a thread and scattered with handwritten reviews and adjustments my mom noted over the years.

The classic Béchamel sauce is at the core of this recipe and learning how to make it opens one up to endless possibilities in the kitchen. The trick is never to turn the heat up too high, to constantly whisk the milk into the roux and then to turn it into a cheese sauce by cutting the heat and adding shredded cheese.

My mom never added bread crumbs on top before baking but I do – simply because I like the textured crunch they offer (toasted bread crumbs are really special on all sorts of pastas, really).

Teach yourself then teach your children how to make this one – I promise it will stick with them forever!

Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Gather this:

• 16 ounce box elbow macaroni noodles
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) of great quality butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I like colby jack and make sure you shred your own cheese from a block
• 1 cup freshly made bread crumbs (just blitz some sourdough in a food processor or blender) – reduce to 1/2 cup if using store bought bread crumbs as they are much more fine
• 2 tbsp butter to grease the casserole dish and dot over the top

Do this:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, straining 3-4 minutes before instructed so the pasta is firm. It will continue cooking when baked with the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, heat a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter and whisk for about 3 minutes – until the flour is cooked and there are no lumps in the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and slowly pour in the milk, whisking the entire time. Once the milk is all added, continue to whisk regularly as the sauce thickens. When the béchamel coats the back of a spoon, turn off the heat and sprinkle in the shredded cheese. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir to combine until the cheese is melted and incorporated. Taste and add salt and pepper until seasoning is right for you.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and use some of the remaining butter to grease a casserole dish. In the same pot you boiled the pasta in, mix the pasta and the sauce together gently until combined. Pour into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and dot with the remaining butter.

Bak uncovered for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly and the bread crumbs are crunchy. Serve and enjoy!