Creamy Mac 'n Cheese

*****I will add photos as soon as I have them *****

Major comfort food here!  My mom made this when I was little and when I started cooking, she pointed me to this cookbook and said "Learn!"  So I did.

This is my all time, favorite American Food cookbook, James Beard's American Cookery.  It isn't the junk side of American cooking but the homemade, melding of traditions cooking.  I love it.  And... as a kid learning to cook, I loved that he always told you where the dish came from and listed historical facts.

My favorite recipe from this book is the Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  Apparently at one time it was called Macaroni pudding.

So Here goes the Creamiest Macaroni and Cheese as adapted from the James Beard cookbook.

1 pound macaroni
6 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
2 dashes Sriracha sauce
3 cups shredded cheese
Buttered Bread Crumbs

Boil the macaroni in salted water till just tender.  Drain well.
Prepare white sauce -  melt butter in a heavy saucepan, blend with the flour, and cook several minutes over medium heat.  Heat the milk to the boiling point, stir into the flour-butter mixture, and continue stirring till it thickens.  Add the seasonings and simmer 4 to 5 minutes.
Butter a 4 quart baking dish or casserole.
Arrange alternate layers of macaroni, sauce, and cheese, ending with the cheese.  Cover the top with the buttered crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the sauce is bubbly. Serve at once.

I used to mix the cheese into the sauce and melt it and I have also used prepared mustard instead of the dry mustard... I like it both ways BUT this way is creamier and I think tastes better.  My kids agree.  I have found that when you melt the cheese in the sauce it can go grainy... not good eats for a texture issues child.  So... This way wins now and is much easier.
Enjoy!