Recipe adventures

In my quest to cook daily in our home, I have tried to liven things up by trying a new recipe almost daily.  I figure that when I find a recipe that either one of us absolutely LOVES, why not share?

Copycat Cracker Barrel Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2 Tbsp. butter



2 Tbsp. flour


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. dry mustard


2 1/2 cups milk


2 cups cheddar (8 oz.), divided


2 cups elbow macaroni (8oz.)


1/4 cup buttered bread crumbs


paprika


In saucepan, melt butter. Blend in flour, salt, and mustard. Add milk, stir constantly until sauce thickens a little. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese, heat until melted, stirring.


Remove from heat.


Meanwhile, cook macaroni as directed; drain. Combine with sauce in a buttered 2 quart casserole; top with remaining cheese, then buttered bread crumbs and sprinkle with paprika.


Bake at 375′ about 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned.
Serves 4-6
credit: The Secret Recipe Blog

JT absolutely adored this recipe! He even had 2 1/2 servings...which is saying a lot since these days he doesn't even finish one serving. I'm not sure if that's a reflection of my cooking or his appetite. ;)
I didn't have the resources for the bread crumbs this recipe called for so I just used the Italian bread crumbs I had on hand.  I also used mozzarella cheese to sprinkle over the top instead of more cheddar. I liked it, but think that it would benefit from an added kick. Not having the paprika to add to it probably was the reason I felt like that. Either way, this was REALLY good! Enjoy!