Something's Different

I have cooked every single night this week. I know that may not seem like a very impressive thing but considering how busy I have been with school, it is. Luckily enough, Alex has been pretty good about letting me know what he wants for dinner. If I had to decide what to make for dinner each night I think we would eat nothing but cereal. I also think Abuela would kill me for not feeding him better. Alex was in the mood for pasta last night which was perfect because I was in the mood for some mac & cheese. I wanted to make a different kind of mac & cheese and this recipe fit the bill. It was very creamy and cheesy, but the real surprise was the dijon mustard. The recipe doesn't call for much of it, but the taste comes out in every bite. Alex kept saying that something was different about this recipe, which I immediately interpreted it as him saying he hated it. Turns out he liked it...a lot! This recipe is a keeper and will probably be my go to mac & cheese recipe.

Homestyle Mac & Cheese
Source: allrecipes (here)

Mac & Cheese:
3 ½ ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (I used ¾ cup milk, ¼ cup heavy cream)
4 ounces cream cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Topping:
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.

Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.