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BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE 
1/2 (16 oz.) pkg. elbow macaroni (2 cups)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided
1/4 cup minced onions
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk or light cream
1/2 cup dry white wine (or water)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar (1/2 lb.)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (for topping)
salt and freshly ground pepper
cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp. paprika

Bring 4-quart salted water to a rapid boil and cook the macaroni until not quite tender. Drain macaroni and set aside.

In sauté pan, melt 1/2 the stick of butter (or 4 tablespoons). When melted, stir in the breadcrumbs and toast just until lightly browned. Remove breadcrumbs from pan and set aside. Wipe pan clean with paper towel and re-use for next step.

Breadcrumb topping: Melt remaining butter, add onions, and stir over low heat until onions are just translucent, but not browned. Stir in the flour and seasonings. Continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, then gradually stir in the milk or cream.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened and smooth. Add cheese and continue stirring until the cheese melts.

Combine the macaroni with the cheese sauce. Turn out into a generously buttered casserole dish (approximately 1 1/2 quarts). If you have any extra grated cheese, you can sprinkle this on top along with the 1/2 cup of buttered, toasted bread crumbs.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 20 minutes or until heated all the way through and golden brown on top.

Submitted by: CM

recipe reviews
Best Macaroni and Cheese
   #135576
 Ruth Ann (New Mexico) says:
My family loves this recipe, and it has become the new family favorite. My children who are away at college look forward to having this dish when they come home. It is also excellent when made with gluten-free pasta and bread crumbs. I have celiac, so I always make one for me that is gluten-free and it is delicious.
   #116388
 Christina (California) says:
First time making homemade mac n cheese and I'm so glad I tried this one!! So yummy. I didn't have white wine but followed everything else as directed. Bomb!!!
   #115749
 Judy (Illinois) says:
Yummy!! I've made mac & cheese before and was not happy with the results - this was really good! Made as per the recipe, using only 1/4 c. wine and the rest water for that item - I wanted some of the zing without it being overpowering. For the milk, used half skim milk and half "1/2 & 1/2". Also, I added more breadcrumbs to the butter than it called for as we LOVE toasted breadcrumbs around here :) The breadcrumbs are KEY, don't leave them out!
   #111610
 Cindy G. (Delaware) says:
Extremely good!! Takes some time for prep though so plan for an hour overall. I subbed the wine for water and didn't add cayenne, I also added 1 cup mozzarella in with 1 cup of cheddar (instead of 2 cups cheddar), then sprinkled cheddar on the top before the breadcrumbs. I also used a box of baked ziti (4 cups) instead of elbow macaroni and used a bigger casserole dish to compensate. I used dry minced onions to speed up the process. Lastly, I sprinkled additional bread crumbs on top of the toasted ones before popping into oven and it came out extremely good!!!! Highly recommend!!
 #110329
 Krissie (New Zealand) says:
SO GOOD!! I added 1/8th teaspoon cayenne and did 1 cup milk and 1 cup cream. SO DELICIOUS! I also put about 2 tbsp. Parmesan in it :) This is my new fave!
   #110153
 Love to Cook (West Virginia) says:
Really wonderful recipe! Rich, cheesy and gooey. This one is a keeper! I'm pretty critical when it comes to new recipes, but I would HIGHLY recommend trying this one out. You wont be disappointed!
   #105036
 Yovi (New York) says:
That was by far the best mac and cheese I've ever tasted... I added a little bit of my own seasonings and wow is all I can say.
 #104188
 Crystal (Georgia) says:
Hey this Macaroni and Cheese dish was amazing. I almost left it in the oven too long. The breadcrumb topping was almost amazing it remind me of the Mac and Cheese I mad with Kraft Fresh Take Three Cheese Breadcrumbs it was just as good!
   #97887
 Meighan (Manitoba) says:
Great recipe! I doubled it and added extra cheese to the top and it was a hit with my family.
   #92767
 Kayte (Massachusetts) says:
I love mac and cheese and this was the best I ever had!!!! Delicious!!!!
   #84225
 Loren (California) says:
Mmmmmm this recipe is great. I added some extra cheese on top and mixed in ham. So so good! Love mac n cheese!
   #83184
 Jess l. (California) says:
Omg! This recipe is AMAZING! I have been trying to find something similar to hard rock cafe's twisted mac and cheese. I appreciate you putting this up...made my family happy with full bellies!
   #80405
 Jasmine (Singapore) says:
Thanks to the recipe I passed my home economics exams.
   #78686
 Sam (California) says:
Man, this macaroni is the bomb! it was a hit in my house and it was served with pork chops. good job!!!!!!
   #72660
 Dara (Maryland) says:
sooooooo goood!!!! Only thing i would do just for my preference is to cut out some of the onion flavor just bc i dont like a strong onion flavor...but other than that YUUUMMMMM!!! I couldn't keep my fork out of it before i even put it in the oven!

 

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