I think my dinner just gave me a hug…

Home style macaroni and cheese

There’s just something about comfort food that makes you feel better. Between graduating from college, getting ready to move out of my apartment and back into my parents’ house (ugh), starting a new internship and going back to my old job part-time, my stress level is at about maximum capacity.

So instead of summery salads and sorbets, I’m craving macaroni and cheese.

This recipe calls for:

• 7 ounces macaroni
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

I read reviews that said the sauce-to-pasta ratio was a little off, so I just used about 3/4 of the box of elbows. I also omitted the parsley– I was terrorized with it growing up.

So first, get your pasta cooked.

On the stove, melt the butter and stir in the flour until it mixes in and thickens.

Add the milk, salt, pepper, cream cheese and mustard and stir it up until everything’s incorporated. Then add your cheddar.

Next, stir in your elbows.

Pour the whole thing into a casserole dish. Then mix up a couple tablespoons of melted butter with bread crumbs and spread it on top. I added a little bit of paprika for some smoke?

Bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Then eat it. And yes, I realize this picture looks very similar to the one just above it, but it’s different. It’s cooked.

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