Mom's Extra Sharp Mac and Cheese

Acadia*'s Note:

My Mom has been making mac and cheese this way for as long as I can remember. It gets a cheesy crust on top that the family fights for.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 1/2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese (shredded or sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups macaroni (cooked)
• 1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a 2-quart square baking dish place 1/2 a cup of cooked macaroni in a single layer.
3. Cover macaroni with cheese evenly.
4. Layer another 1/2 a cup of of macaroni on top of the cheese.
5. Cover macaroni with cheese evenly.
6. Layer another 1/2 a cup of of macaroni on top of the cheese.
7. Add the milk.
8. Cover macaroni and milk with cheese evenly.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Set the oven to broil and and broil mac, milk and cheese 6"-8" away from broiler for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is browned.
11. Warning: HOT, let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
12. Enjoy!

Reviews

[time4takeout]

Thank you for sharing this recipe. My favorite part of baked mac is the crusty top so to me this was perfect. Just a dash of salt & pepper was the only adjustment I made. I told my mom about it and hers came out terrible. Turns out, she didn't use cheddar. The cheddar cannot be substituted because other cheeses do not melt the same way.

[Andi of Longmeadow Farm]

Perfection on a fork, right here. Wow! I am amazed that very little work went into to prep and it come out like a labor-intensive old fashioned Mac/Cheese. This is really going in my top Favorites of 2012. I added a bit of white pepper and some salt granules, but other then that....no need for anything but a fork. Thanks, Acadia* for such a wonderful treat! Made for The LOVE TrAiN. Jan. 2012

[bmcnichol]

This is like my mom's recipe. I used Vermont Extra Sharp Cheddar and only used a cup sliced. I also added a good bit of pepper. I also used a lot more macaroni's then the recipe called for as 1 1/2 cups didn't seem like enough to me. We enjoyed this for dinner and I have some for leftovers for lunch tomorrow.