If I Didn't Have Kids I Would Never Eat This

Macaroni Cheese. My kids love it. I hate it. Of all the food in all the world Macaroni Cheese is the last thing I would choose to eat. But my kids would eat it every night, which means I get requests for it alot. So like a good Mama I make it for them once in awhile.

But I got so tired of the same old thing, so I experimented with the Mac n' Cheese. I tried different cheeses (Tasty is the best). I tried different seasonings. Leaving out the onion (never again). I even tried cooking the Macaroni in milk instead of water. (Trust me. Don't do it).

I have served up some pretty bad Macaroni Cheese dinners before and still those kids eat it like there's no tomorrow. And then they ask for it again the next night.

So I thought I better finalise the best recipe and stick with it. No more experimenting with Mac 'n Cheese, because it doesnt make it better. It's still Mac n' Cheese and I'm still going to hate it.

So here is my recipe that I'm married to. There will be no divorce until the last child has left home.

Macaroni Cheese Finale

2 TBSP Butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 small TBSP flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 cups milk
Salt and Pepper
2 cups grated Tasty Cheese
3-5 large rashers of middle bacon
Paprika
2 cups Macaroni pasta

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. At this time, put on a separate pot of water for the pasta. Add the pasta and cook al dente.

Stir in the flour with a whisk into the butter and onion mixture and gradually add the milk, stirring continuously until it is of a consistency that you like. I like ours slightly runny as it makes the macaroni moist instead of dry. Add more milk if needed. Add half of the grated cheese and stir until well blended.

Fry the bacon for a couple of minutes if desired. You can put the bacon in raw if short on time, but cooking it first does give the macaroni more flavour, and that is always, always a good thing.

Finally, drain the pasta and add the milk mixture and bacon.

Pour into an ovenproof dish and top with the remaining grated cheese. Finally, sprinkle paprika over the top.

Cook at 190deg for 20 minutes or until golden and heated through.