Southern Mac and Cheese

Southern Mac and Cheese

Gamer rating: table, lap, even in front of a monitor, if you're careful.
Prep-time: 15 minutes Total: 40 minutes (or slightly longer if you use one large casserole) Oven temp: 350 degrees

I can't take any credit for creating this recipe, but I've fed it to my table-top gamer group several times, and there is never anything left in the casserole at the end of the night!


The recipe doubles well if you're feeding a crowd - just adjust the baking time to suit a bigger casserole.


Ingredients


Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tbsp butter, melted, plus more for ramekins/casserole

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded cheddar (8 ounces)

2 large eggs

1 cup half-and-half

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 slices white sandwich bread, torn

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Preheat oven to 350. Butter four 10-ounce ramekins (or one 1 1/2 quart casserole). Cook the pasta three minutes short of al dente; drain.



2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups cheddar, eggs, half-and-half, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Add pasta and stit to combine; divide among ramekins (or casserole).



3. In a food processor, pulse bread and melted butter until coarse crumbs form; season with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, top pasta mixture with the remaining cheddar and then with the breadcrumbs. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet (or put casserole directly in the oven) and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes (25 - 30 minutes for a casserole). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Other info (oven, food processor, vegetarian)

Credit: Everyday Food Magazine