Ooey-Gooey Homemade Mac and Goodness Cheese

For dinner tonight we had Noah's favorite.  Ooey-Gooey Homemade Mac and Goodness Cheese.  You could also call this "immediate 5 pound weight gain, roll on the floor moaning after eating because it's so good," dinner.

But Homemade Mac and Cheese is a lot easier to say though.

I got the recipe from a ward cookbook, of a ward I was never in, a friend gave me a copy of the book a few years ago.  It is now a family favorite.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

3 cups grated white cheddar cheese (I usually just use the normal orange stuff, we have it on hand, because we buy it in bulk)

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 lb ziti or penne pasta

3 3/4 cup milk

8 Tbsp butter

6 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  In mixing bowl combine cheeses and set aside.

2.  Cook pasta until al dente, drain and place in mixing bowl.

3.  In small saucepan, bring milk to simmer.

4.  In large saucepan, melt butter.  When it bubbles, whisk in flour.  Cook, stirring 5 to 6 minutes and remove from heat.  Whisk in hot milk.  Add cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Reduce heat to low.  Add 2 cups of cheese and cook, stirring until cheese is melted.  Pour sauce over pasta and mix.

6.  Pour pasta into buttered 3 1/2 quart baking dish (I use our 11x13 glass pan).  Top with remaining cheese; pour cream over the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake 30 minutes or until bubbling.

Warning:  The cayenne does add a bit of a kick, but it's good.  Our kids love it.