First of all, I have no idea who Wendy is. I just wanted to get that out there. This is, by no means, an original recipe of mine, but it’s really, really, REALLY yummy, and I wanted to share it. I first encountered this bit of comfort food heaven at a party next door a year or so ago. I asked my neighbor for the recipe, but never got around to making it until tonight. Silly me!
The original recipe was for 1/3 this amount, but tripled, it fits perfectly in a 9×13 casserole dish. That said, I will take credit for the math involved in figuring out the proportions. And if you know me at all, you know that was a major effort.
Warning: This is not a “light” dish!
Ingredients
- 1 1-pound box uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ sticks butter, divided
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 4 ½ cups milk
- 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces Velveeta, cubed
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 1 sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers
Directions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions & drain.
- Place drained macaroni in greased baking dish & set aside.
- In a large saucepan/pot, melt 1 ½ sticks of butter over medium heat.
- Stir in flour until smooth.
- Gradually add milk.
- Bring mixture to a boil.
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then reduce heat.
- Stir in cheeses, salt and pepper until cheese is melted.
- Pour over macaroni & mix well.
- Melt the remaining butter and combine with the crushed Ritz crackers. Sprinkle over casserole.
- Bake uncovered at 375° for 30 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
