National Mac & Cheese Day Recipe

Tri-State Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb elbow macaroni

• 3 tbsp butter

• 3 tbsp flour

• 2 ½ cups whole milk

• 2 cups shredded Tri-State Cheddar or Gouda (or mix both)

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Optional: ½ tsp garlic powder or paprika

• Optional topping: ½ cup breadcrumbs + 1 tbsp melted butter

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside. Al dente is Italian for “just right”—like pasta with a little bite, not a mushy noodle tragedy. If your macaroni still has a bit of sass when you chew it, you nailed it.

2. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk for 1–2 minutes to form a roux (A roux is what happens when butter and flour fall in love and decide to thicken things up. It's the smooth-talking base that makes your cheese sauce silky instead of sad. Just whisk it like you mean it—no lumps allowed!).

3. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until smooth and thickened (about 5 minutes).

4. Put heat on low, Add shredded cheese and stir until melted. If milk mixture is too hot, cheese can get stringy and won't melt. 

5. Season with salt, pepper, and optional spices.

6. Stir in cooked pasta. Serve as-is, or:

7. For baked version: Pour into a greased dish, top with breadcrumb mixture, and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes until golden.