Homemade Mac and Cheese

Yesterday I decided that I wanted Macaroni and Cheese for dinner and not just the boxed kind, but the homemade kind.  I have never tried this before and thought why not.  If it comes out bad, there is always other options or fast food right around the corner.  

While searching with "Google", my "go-to resource", I found 2 recipes for this that looked good. One that used smoked paprika and the other from the Pioneer women that used dry mustard. Now if you know my husband, you will know that he is a picky eater and even though everyone said you cannot taste the dry mustard, I knew that he would have been able too.  So I decided to go with the Pioneer Woman's recipe, because lets face it, you cant go wrong with the Pioneer Woman, and substitute smoked paprika in for the dry mustard.

Ingredients

4 cups Dried Macaroni

1 whole Egg Beaten

1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter

1/4 cup All-purpose Flour

2-1/2 cups Whole Milk

1 teaspoon (heaping) smoked paprika

1 pound Cheese, Grated

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Seasoned Salt

1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

 Preparation Instructions

• Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
• In a small bowl, beat egg.
• In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
• Pour in milk, add smoked paprika, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
• Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
• Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
• Add in cheese and stir to melt.
• Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
• Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bread crumbs, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

I decided that a couple pieces of bacon would go well with the mac and cheese too, and boy was I right!!  

~What recipes have you tried out lately?  

~Have you ever tried to make a homemade mac and cheese?  If not, I'd HIGHLY suggest it! :)