Baked-Baked Mac N Cheese – what??

Comfort food. We all crave/need it once in a while. I mean, who doesn’t look back fondly on that special recipe that only Grandma knew? Or that special dinner that Mom made for your birthday. I know I have my favorites. My great-grandma’s chicken and rice soup – the secret of which we have never been able to recreate, despite trying a gazillion times. My grandma’s pot roast. I’ll never forget that pot roast with the little white potatoes. My mom’s baked mac n cheese. Or the one that evokes the most in my memory – and all the Italians will know this: Pastina. Creamy, cheesy goodness in a bowl. Nothing like it when you have a cold or you just want comfort. A bowl of Pastina, curled up in your favorite blanket, watching it snow outside…

Today’s post isn’t about pastina – I promise, I’m still working on that one. Today, we’re going to make Baked-Baked Mac N Cheese. Why is it “baked-baked”? Because it’s baked and after you eat it, you might be baked. So, without further adieu –

Macaroni of your choice: sometimes I use elbow mac, sometimes small shell mac. I’ve even used rotini once in a while. Why not? What’s life without whimsy? When my sons were living home, I would use an entire pound of mac. Now, it’s just me and my husband, so, I use half a pound and have leftovers for lunch at work. I’m going to use the half pound measurements here. So, cook your mac to al dente (to the tooth – again, Italians, you know what this means) cooked, but firm. If it’s mushy – it’s been overcooked. Rinse your mac and set aside in your baking dish.

For the roux: heat 6 tablespoons of butter (regular butter) and 2 tablespoons of cannabudder on a low heat.

1/4 cup all purpose flour. Add the flour to the butter, slowly, and continually whisk

Add in 3/4 cup of milk to the flour and butter.

8 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. And 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add those into the roux, continuing to whisk until melted and smooth

1 tablespoon of tincture added to the roux.

Stir to combine your cheesy goodness in your mac – fully coat every piece of mac. Sprinkle bread crumbs and more parmesan cheese over the top. Place in a 350* oven, for 20 minutes. The top should be golden brown and have a little crisp to it.

That’s it. As with all edibles, please only use the amount that your tolerance can handle.