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Our Brittany Spaniel, Daisy, is an early riser. How early you say, somewhere around 4:30 a.m. she's ready to go outside and then have her breakfast treat. The mornings at that hour are now dark and the sun is setting earlier. You can hear the crickets chirping all day.

I was working today so I have to prepare supper ahead of time so that all I have to do when I come home is sit down and eat. My husband can handle turning on the oven, popping in a casserole and setting the table. As the weather is much improved over the past two weeks, I'm able to prepare something ahead time for oven baking. Fitting the bill today is macaroni and cheese. Shop Rite has 8 ounce packages of Cabot cheddar cheese on sale for $1.88 ea., so it's a perfect meal for tonight.
No fancy recipe tonight, just good ol' comfort food. The macaroni and cheese recipe is from my vintage Betty Crocker's Cookbook circa 1983. Tonight I've added some diced purple pepper that came from our garden and a minced clove of garlic. I also doubled the recipe so that I have another casserole ready for this weekend when I work. It can either be my main course or a side dish paired with a protein. By the way, my husband loved the additions I made to the recipe. Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese

Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

New and Revised Edition, 1983

Adapted by Donna Walsifer


Ingredients

1 to 1-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, rigatoni or farfalle (about 6 ounces)

¼ cup butter

1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ cup)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup all purpose flour

1-3/4 cup milk

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese


Preparation

Cook macaroni as direct on box. Cook and stir butter, onion and salt and pepper over medium heat until onion is slightly tender. Blend in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.


Place macaroni in ungreased 1-1/2 quart casserole. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni. Cook uncovered in a 375° oven 30 minutes.


Donna’s Notes

  • Occasionally, I use half cheddar cheese and half Gouda.
  • For a double recipe I prepare a one-pound box of pasta.
  • I use butter, not margarine.
  • I shredded the cheese using a box grater.
  • When removing the wax paper from a stick of butter, place the paper in an empty butter box and keep in the freezer. Use these sheets to grease the inside of a casserole, cookie sheet or pancake pan.
  • I wiped my casserole dish with one or two sheets to prevent the macaroni and cheese from sticking.