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I sometimes plan my blog posts a bit in advance. Today’s post was supposed to be about how I had made fantastic macaroni and cheese. My husband is the one who generally makes the mac and cheese in this family. He’s very specific about it: shell pasta mixed with a homemade white sauce, cheddar cheese, and baked in the oven with more shredded cheddar on top. The kids love it. So I decided my project this week would be to make a slightly healthier stove top version. It would have whole wheat noodles, less butter and cheese to reduce fat and cholesterol, and my kids would still love it.

Well, that was the plan.

It turns out I am completely incapable of making macaroni and cheese that my kids will eat. Multiple attempts have resulted in me throwing out more noodles and cheese sauce than actually wound up in my kids’ stomaches. I know when to admit defeat. But, I didn’t want to leave you recipe-less on a Monday. So here’s my husband’s recipe. The kids love it. Sigh.

My Husband’s Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Cook 1 lb of pasta, preferably shell noodles or elbows. Drain and set aside.

Make a roux using 1 stick butter and 1/2 cup flour. Add 3 1/2 cups of milk (husband says you can use less if it’s not the “nasty skim stuff”). Stir frequently with a whisk till thickened.

Add seasoning to the sauce. Husband adds salt, pepper, dried mustard, paprika, and cumin.

Mix 10 oz of shredded cheddar into the white sauce. Mix noodles into the sauce. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan and top with another 6 oz of shredded cheddar and more paprika. Bake at 350 for half an hour.