My poor Mom, who has been suffering with a tooth situation for quite some time, finally had to have it yanked out yesterday. I have a ridiculous and debilitating fear of the dentist and am so afraid, in fact, that my brother actually had to drive her to the appointment (she was being put under) because I am too paralyzed with fear to even enter the office. The mere thought of it, as I am writing this, makes me literally feel like I could burst into tears. Anyway, since I felt as if I did not live up to my daughterly responsibilities, I did want to contribute to help make the end of Mom's day just a bit brighter. The best way I knew how to achieve this was to make her a comforting and enjoyable meal. Since we were working with a chewing disability last night I thought of the best soft, most satisfying, filling and supremely comforting meal I could think of, mac 'n' cheese.
Mac 'n' Cheese
1 box small pasta (macaroni, bowtie, seashell, etc.)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
5 dashes hot sauce
panko bread crumbs
salt
pepper
Prepare pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside. In a separate large sauce pan melt butter, add flour and mixing continuously with a wooden spoon for a minute or two. Once raw flour flavor has been cooked out, gradually add milk and whisk continuously to avoid lumps from the flour. When the milk and flour/butter mixture has been incorporated add Dijon, hot sauce, salt and pepper and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and shredded cheese and stir well to combine. Add pasta to the cheese sauce and pour into a large buttered casserole dish. Top with grated parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Dot with a little extra butter and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until cheese bubbles and topping is golden brown. Let mac 'n' cheese sit for about 10-15 minutes to "set" before serving.
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