Mrs. G's Macaroni And Cheese

I know that there are a million different versions of macaroni and cheese in the world, and that just about everyone has there own special spin on it. 

Here is my special spin on this classic comfort food.  Creamy and deliciously cheesy, with a mild tang to surprise and tickle your tastebuds.



Mrs. G's Macaroni And Cheese

1 - 16 oz. package of elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cans evaporated milk
(additional milk if required)
1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
16 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces velveeta cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
pure olive oil spray

-Bring a large covered pot of salted water to boil over medium/high leat (for pasta).

-In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
-Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine.
-Cook the flour and butter mixture together for 1 minute.
-Slowly add the evaporated milk to the butter/flour mixture and whisk briskly to blend thouroughly.
-Continue cooking the mixture over medium to medium/high heat, whisking occasionally, until thickened nicely.

--While the sauce is thickening, cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions and drain.

-Add the beer and Dijon mustard to the thickened sauce and continue to whisk.
(if the mixture appears too thick, add a small amount of milk, in incriments, until you reach a consistency of thick pancake batter).
-Turn the heat down to medium/low.
-Add the salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. Stir to combine.
-Add the cheeses, one kind at a time to the sauce, and stir in a figure 8 pattern until each cheese is completely melted and creamy.
-Add the drained elbow macaroni to the cheese sauce and gently stir to coat each elbow with creamy goodness.
-Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and carefully pour the macaroni and cheese into the prepared pan.



-Evenly spread the breadcrumbs on top the macaroni mixture.
-Spray the crumbs liberally with pure olive oil (or drizzle with melted butter).

-At this point, you can refrigerate the casserole until you're ready to bake and serve or you can bake this right away.  **Note - If you're going to refrigerate first, take the casserole out of the frige about 1/2 hour before your're ready to bake to take some of the chill off.

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
-Cook your macaroni and cheese, uncovered for 45 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumb topping is browned nicely.
-Allow to sit for approximately 15 minutes and serve to your drooling family and friends.

Ahhhh, now it's time for a nap :)  I hope you enjoyed my spin on this classic dish. 

What do you do to make your macaroni and cheese special?  I encourage you to leave your comments as I'd love to hear your creative ideas.

Until we eat again,
Renée