Nanny's Simple Macaroni and Cheese

MSZANZ's Note:

Gosh, there are so many Mac and Cheese recipes! I looked at many before deciding to post my favorite recipe from childhood. My grandmother makes this all of the time. My girls and I love it but the Hubby doesn't like it much. "Too bland" he says. Great comfort food!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb elbow macaroni
• 2 lbs of longhorn colby cheese, sliced to about 1/8 inch slices (I have also used Colby Jack)
• milk
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Boil pasta according to package in salted water.
2. For firmer pasta reduce boiling time by a few minutes.
3. Drain.
4. Grease a deep casserole dish (I use a spray).
5. Place a layer of macaroni, enough to cover the bottom, in the casserole dish.
6. Add a layer of cheese slices covering the macaroni.
7. Very lightly season with salt and pepper (I actually skip this and we add salt and pepper to taste on our individual servings).
8. Repeat these layers until you are out of pasta.
9. Pour milk over the casserole until the milk almost reaches the top of the casserole dish (It doesn't take much because the dish is already full of pasta and cheese).
10. Bake covered for about 45 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven.
11. You'll know it is finished cooking when the milk is no longer liquid.
12. Sometimes I add leftover ham chunks to the layers.
13. Cook time and servings are approximate!

Reviews

[SoberOldie]

My husband has always talked about his mom's mac & cheese, saying that although mine is good, his mom's had that 'certain something' - I always used a flour-butter-cheese roux to sauce it - but his mom made it just like this. So I tried it tonight - cut it in half since we are only 2 - and added bread crumbs to the top mixed with 1 T melted butter. Also, I didn't have cheddar but I had muenster slices from Costco and Tillamook Pepper Jack! Then, you can kill me now, I used half milk and half heavy cream! Cut the cooking time by 15 minutes, and oh my gosh - UNBELIEVABLY GOOD. I will make this again and again. Hubby says it's almost like his mom's except the cheeses are of course different, but the effect is the same! THANKS!

[Lisa Ann Grace Shimel Cole]

This is the BEST baked mac and cheese! LOVE IT!!!

[Chill]

I made this for our lake party. I used Colby cheese, but it went clumpy and not at all smooth. In fact I decided just to use the boxed mac and cheese as a back up. When everyone came in to eat, they choose your mac and cheese over the 'other'. So it tasted good, I used shells, but I feel maybe I did something wrong, though I'm not sure what. I'm sure it wasn't supposed to be clumpy.