halloween mac & cheese

our halloween traditions do not revolve solely around tormenting our dogs with costumes and seeing how many reese peanut butter cups we can hide from the neighbor kids. we also indulge in the annual halloween mac and cheese. do not let this imply the mac and cheese is in any way halloween-y, we just eat it every year on halloween. i think we figure we're going to eat candy and drink beer, we may as well do it up right with a super calorie-packed side dish.
i have to say this, i make some badass macaroni and cheese. the secret to my pasta casserole prowess? the 19th edition of the better homes and garden cookbook, published 1949. back when people ate butter and weren't afraid of lard and bacon. the binding may be cracked and the pages yellow, but it holds a treasure of classic recipes. (this may be the same recipe as in the current cookbook, but i can't say)


baked macaroni and cheese (i usually double this recipe, cause it's that good)

8oz macaroni
3 tbsp butter (BUTTER, people, not margarine)
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk (go for the whole milk. you know you want to.)
salt and pepper
1/2 lb grated american cheese (i use sharp american. cheddar is good, as is the casserole mix championed by my friend elisa)
1 cup dry bread crumbs

cook macaroni in boiling, salted water. Drain and rinse. make white sauce of butter, flour, milk, and seasonings; add two-thirds of the cheese; stir until melted. (whisk count: 1) pour over macaroni in greased baking dish. sprinkle remaining cheese and bread crumbs over top. bake in moderate oven (325) 30 minutes.

only once when making this have i accidently grated my finger. ouch.



i saw mac and cheese recently on 'throwdown with bobby flay' that is 7 cheeses and 2000 calories a serving. looked incredible and may be duplication worthy.