we started by gathering the ingredients: one box of elbow macaroni, 12 oz. of extra sharp cheddar cheese (grated), 4 tablespoons of flour, 2 cups of skim milk, 1/2 c. of fat-free half and half, 1/4 cup (one stick) of butter, S&P and nutmeg.
we boiled up the macaroni noodles and had them cool off while we shredded our cheddar cheese. since we realized we didn't have a cheese grater or anything of that kind, we had to cut the cheese (hahahahaha) into small planks so they would melt down easily. cut it into the smallest pieces that you can!
once all the cheese was "shredded", we moved on to melting the butter in a medium saucepan and added the flour and cooked it together until it was brown and nutty (remember, this is making a roux!). then, add the milk and cream and bring the mixture to a simmer so the flour can start to thicken the milk. add the nutmeg and cook until the sauce just coats the back of a spoon like this:
next, add the cheese in small batches and stir until it melts down and the sauce gets gooey. be careful to keep the heat on medium low so that you don't scald the milk or burn the cheese. taste the cheese sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. then, take the macaroni noodles and stir the whole thing together in the saucepan. ready to see the gooey mess?
man, just looking at this makes me wish i was eating it now! there's only a few more steps, i promise! put the noodles and cheese into a casserole dish that is lightly buttered or sprayed with cooking spray (to make clean up much easier). we decided to add fresh tomato slices right to the top along with a panko breadcrumb topping (panko breadcrumbs and one tbsp of butter toasted in a pan-- but not pictured!).
pop the casserole into the oven for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees until everything is warm and bubbly.
ready? are you ready to see it? IT LOOKS SO DELICIOUS.
please enjoy responsibly :]
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