Food Contest #3 ~ The Creamiest Mac & Cheese...for Two!

Well, the rain for the week has arrived. Torrential downpour and high gusting winds came along for the ride! Wow!!! This means comfort food to calm the soul, and to me, that equals a Creamy Macaroni & Cheese. There are only a few of us here today...@smylie2005 and little Sophie. So, I'll show you the recipe for two. It's fast enough and easy enough to make as a quick lunch, which is what I did today.

I love this recipe because it's fast, easy, and I generally have the ingredients on hand already. It's quite versatile, as well, and can take on a number of variations...more on that later!

Two servings only requires 4 ounces...and that's still a lot! Those recipes that say a pound for four servings...who are they feeding???

The Creamiest Mac & Cheese for Two...The Ingredients

• 4 oz. sturdy Pasta, preferably a rigate (with the grooves, to hold on to the sauce is best)...I had Penne Rigate on hand
• 3 Tablespoons Butter (salted or unsalted, your preference...we go with salted)
• 3 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Whole or 2% Milk (guess what I used...yep, whole)
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Dry Ground Mustard
• 4 oz. your favorite Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grate fresh, preferably
• 2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Grated Fresh Parmesan
• For the Topping (optional) 1 Tablespoon of Butter, 1/4 Cup of Herbed Bread Crumbs or Panko and 1 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese

Have your ingredients gathered?? C'mon, let's cook! Here's how it's done...

First, get your largest saucepot 3/4 full with salted water, set it over high heat to bring it to a boil for your pasta. Now, for the good stuff!

While we wait for the water to come to a boil, we'll get the sauce going. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a medium sized saucepan. We start by making a Bechamel Sauce, the White Sauce that is the base, or 'Mother Sauce', for so many others.

Whisk 3 tablespoons of flour in to the melted butter. We're making a roux, the thickening agent for our sauce.

Whisk the roux over medium heat for a few minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour. We don't want any color on this, just a few minutes will do.

Whisk in the cup of milk, and continue whisking to blend thoroughly. Add in the half teaspoon of kosher salt, the quarter teaspoon of pepper and the quarter teaspoon of mustard powder.

If you like things a little spicy, you could add a pinch of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning...only if you want to, though! Your kitchen, your rules!

Whisk until the sauce reaches a boil, when you feel it thickening. To check for the perfect consistency, dip a spoon into the bechamel and run your finger down the back of the spoon, through the sauce. The lines should stay put...this is called nape', and is the point where we add the cheese!!!

Add the quarter cup of Parmesan and grate in the 4 ounces of sharp cheddar. Chef's Note: Here's where you can take your own twists or turns...use a smoked chedddar, or a provolone...maybe a pepper jack as part of the mix...or, asiago has a really nice kick, and adults up the recipe...just maintain the ratio to where you're adding just four ounces of your cheese, besides the Parmesan. Believe it, or not, you really CAN have a too cheesy Mac & Cheese! I know!!! I was shocked, too!

Add the two tablespoons of cream cheese...yes, this IS going to be gooey and rich!

This is the goal! Give it a taste...this is your last chance to add seasonings to the sauce, so that your pasta can have the best opportunities for flavor madness!

And, the water has come to a boil!!! If you plan on baking your Creamy Mac & Cheese, set your oven to 400 degrees farenheit now.

Add your selected 4 ounces of pasta and give it a good stir.

Cook to just barely al dente according to the package directions, if you plan on baking your Creamy Mac & Cheese. Mine took 11 minutes. They make quick cooking pasta now, so be sure to read the directions for what you have handy.

When the time is about up, pull out a few tablespoons of the pasta water. We use this to loosen up the cheese sauce, and it helps everything meld into the pasta more easily.

Strain out your pasta and put it in the cheese sauce...we're almost home!

The ratio of cheese sauce is incredible. Don't let it scare you. The pasta will soak it up. If you eating this immediately, without the baking process, stop here. Give it a few minutes to rest and a few extra stirs and taste. If it's too thick, add the pasta water.

If you're baking the Creamy Mac & Cheese, stir in the saved pasta water and mix it into the cheese sauce. Pour the Creamy Mac & Cheese into a small casserole that you have sprayed with a non-stick spray. We'll make the topping, next.

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small fry pan. Add in 1/4 cup of Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs or Herb Seasoned Panko.
I would really have perferred to use Panko...it makes for a crunchier, crisper crust, with its larger sized crumbs....however...

It's doing this! It's coming down like nobody's business out there, and I am NOT going out there! We'll just use the Italian Bread Crumbs! With all the cheesy goodness going on, nobody's gonna care what crumbs you have on there, anyway!

I like to add extra Parsley to the breadcrumbs, for extra color. If you have fresh parsley, you can use that instead. My parsley isn't even up yet, so dried, it is!

I added a nice pinch of Parmesan, about a tablespoon, to the breadcrumbs, because...well, just because! It gets spread over the Creamy Mac & Cheese.

And, it's Oventime!!! 400 degrees farenheit for about 20 minutes! Just until it's bubbly and the top has lightly browned. Let your Creamy Mac & Cheese rest for a few minutes, after it's done its time, to let it settle down. It's had a wild ride, after all!

And, the Serve!!! This, my Steemian friends, is what Southern Comfort looks like on this rainy day! Or any old day, for that matter! I hope you'll give this a try the next time you need a little comfort (food) in your life! It IS delicious!!!