Mac and Cheese

My little darling wrote his first story. He made up a story about Tom & Jerry, and wrote it for me. It was simple and sweet. I was really thrilled and impressed with it, and decided to make him one of his favorite meals. I asked him to pick a dish, and to my surprise he chose Mac & cheese. Now, this is not one of the dishes he often eats, but it was his choice, so I had to make it. I had none of the ingredients that are needed to make the dish, but I did not want to disappoint him either. So I had to improvise. I had some egg noodles, American cheese singles and bread crumbs. I took a gamble and went with these, but the result was a really flavorful dish, and we did not miss any of the fancy cheeses or the macaroni.

 

Macaroni/ Egg noodles - 1 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Flour - 2 tbsp
Milk - 3/4 cup
Any grated Cheese - 3/4 cup (I used 3 American cheese singles)
Bread crumbs - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Garlic powder - 1 tsp

Cook the pasta according to instructions on the package (Usually in a pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 12 min). In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk well and cook this golden brown, and the raw smell is gone. Heat the milk in the microwave, and stir slowly into the flour and butter mixture. Whisk really well, in order to avoid any lumps. When the mixture is well incorporated, add the cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Mix well, till the cheese melts and add the pasta. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with some milk. Pour into an  oven safe dish, and top with the bread crumbs. Spray with some cooking spray or drizzle some oil on top, to help with the browning. Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for 10 to 15 min, until the bread crumbs are golden brown on top. Serve hot.