Creamy Mac and Cheese

What is more comforting than mom's pot roast on a rainy Sunday afternoon? How about homemade macaroni and cheese? If you are like me, you probably grew up eating the Kraft mac and cheese with the powdery cheese sauce. And, I have to admit, as a kid it tasted pretty good. But later in my youth when money was scarce, I had to eat the imitation Kraft mac and cheese, which tasted like carboard with salty cheese. Now, as an adult(?), my taste buds are more sophisticated and I wanted to make homemade macaroni and cheese that would knock my socks off. I made my first homemade mac and cheese last year for a summer BBQ and it was beyond delicious. If you are aching for some good comfort food, try this recipe. It's so yummy I can't even describe how delicious it is! 4 Tbs butter 4 Tbs flour 2 cups warm milk Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1/2 tsp Tabasco 12 oz macaroni elbows, cooked and drained 12 ounces grated Cheddar cheese (I prefer Tillamook medium) 4 ounces grated Gruyere cheese 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1. Turn on the oven to 350 F.
2. Make roux by melting the butter and adding the flour. Cook over low heat for three minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Increase the heat to medium and add the warm milk to the roux. Keep stirring and use a whisk, if necessary, to make the sauce smooth. Cook until thickened, about 4 minutes.
4. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco.
5. Mix in the grated cheeses into the sauce. Stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.
6. Cook and drain elbow macaroni. Combine macaroni with the cheese sauce (bechamel).
7. Grease a 3-quart casserole or baking pan and add the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle the top with remaining bread crumbs and bake for 20 to 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until macaroni and cheese is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown.
8. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.