Dinner For 1 - Macaroni & Cheese

All right, I promised a recipe for Macaroni & Cheese.

I really love homemade baked macaroni & cheese. It's one of my ultimate comfort foods.

I've read you can add veggies and ham to make a real one-dish-meal, or change the pasta and make something really elegant. But for me, the plain, macaroni pasta in a cheddar sauce, topped with browned breadcrumbs can't be beat. So here it is, adapted from the recipe in Going Solo in the Kitchen. It makes just enough for a dinner and a lunch.

1 c. raw macaroni
1 c. of milk (just pour out a mugful and heat it in the microwave)
1 TB flour
2 tsp. butter
Cayenne pepper
dry mustard
fresh ground pepper
at least 1 c. grated cheese
breadcrumbs

Cook the macaroni in either a pot of boiling water or in the microwave, pulling it out a few minutes early. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
While the macaroni is cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. After it melts, stir in the flour and cook the roux for a bit (while stirring). It will turn a golden brown color. Add the milk and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. Add the mustard and pepper to taste, then start to whisk in the cheese. Don't let the sauce boil.
Spray a small casserole with a bit of non-stick spray, and pour the drained pasta in. Stir in the sauce, and top with breadcrumbs.
Bake between 15 and 30 minutes, then let it set for 15 minutes. Eat.