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| With fake crab meat |
4 C whole milk
1 stick butter
1/2 C flour
Salt, pepper, mustard to taste (optional)
1 lb macaroni (or whatever pasta is in your
cupboard)
4 C shredded cheese (I like a mixture of
cheddar and whatever else is on hand)
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Crabmeat (fake or not, or bacon, chicken,
green onions, or anything else you want to
add)
The great thing about this recipe is that, difficult as the roux is to make, once that is done and you have the cheese sauce made, you can add pretty much anything and have it be crazy delicious.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, add salt if you want (I never do and it turns out fine). Add the pasta and cook until it’s almost al dente, then drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
If you plan to top with breadcrumbs and bake it (optional but highly recommended), heat the oven to 400°F.
Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it just comes to a simmer, then turn off the heat and set aside.
Here is the hard part. In the large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the mixture turns light brown in color, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
While whisking constantly, slowly add the hot milk to the flour mixture until evenly combined and smooth. It will get very thick when you first add the milk, then thin out. Don't be like me and get upset if it turns out a little lumpy the first time - it takes practice and it will still taste good.
Return the saucepan to medium-high heat and while whisking constantly, cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, mustard or any other spices to taste.
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| With green onions and topped with more cheese |
