Here is the original "Bill's Special Macaroni and Cheese", the mac & cheese recipe that I got from my Dad's long time friend, Bill Rothel.
Ingredients:
8 oz. Macaroni - not the small elbows, but the large pasta
2 TBS. butter or margarine
2 TBS flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. or 2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika
Procedure:
Cook macaroni approx. ten minutes or until tender to the taste in rapidly boiling water stirring frequently. Add some olive oil and salt to the water. While this is cooking use separate pan for preparing the sauce.
Melt butter over heat and remove pan from stove. Add flour, salt, mustard, pepper return pan to stove. Heat gradually and add most of milk stirring constantly until sauce begins to thicken. Add remainder of milk and 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Stir until sauce thickens nicely and takes on coloring of cheese. Sauce should bubble slightly when done.
Coordinate Sauce to complete as pasta is done cooking. Drain Pasta.
In shallow two to three quart casserole dish with lid, lightly wipe bottom and sides with Crisco or other shortening.
Pour drained pasta into dish and cover with sauce completely. Take remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and spread over top of mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of the cheese you just put down and then put the paprika over the bread crumbs.
Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for approx. 25 minutes until the top starts to brown ever so slightly. Dish should be bubbling slightly when done.
Do not overcook as dish should be served hot but still moist.
This is tried and true and a heck of a lot better than anything out of a box!
Compliments of Bill -----------June 2002
The Johnson Family Cookbook