How to Make Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (with Optional Ham)

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By lindsey23
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The final product, ready to eat!

Macaroni and cheese is a kid-friendly recipe that is a favorite of adults as well. This dish is sure to please the entire family and is easy to prepare ahead of time so that it just has to go in the oven before dinner! This recipe is enough to make one casserole... Modify to fit your own needs!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
3 c. milk
Macaroni and/or other pasta
Cheese
Ham (optional)
Corn flakes, Ritz crackers, rice crispies, or other similar product
Extra butter

Step 1

Start cooking your noodles; traditionally, they're macaroni. The amount will vary depending on how much you need, but it should be enough to fill your casserole dish. Cook according to package directions.
Step 2

Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium high heat in a medium saucepan.
Step 3

Add 1/3 cup flour and mix in with a little wire whisk.
Step 4

Stir until smooth.
Step 5

Add 3 cups milk.
Step 6

Stir constantly until the sauce boils and then thickens. This will take several minutes.
Step 7

Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 8

Dice cheese. The amount will vary based on taste and the amount of noodles.
Step 9

When macaroni/noodles are done, pour into a glass pan.
Step 10

Add cheese to noodles, as well as anything else that sounds good. Today we added some leftover ham.
Step 11

Stir until the noodles, cheese, and ham are evenly distributed.
Step 12

Pour sauce over the mixture.
Step 13

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter. This can be done in the microwave.
Step 14

Pour several cups of cornflakes (depending on how much crunch you want and the area you have to cover) into a ziplock bag. You can also use Ritz crackers, rice crispies, or anything else that gives some crunch. Seal it shut and crush away!
Step 15

Add butter to cornflakes or whatever you used and mix it around.
Step 16

Pour mixture over the dish.
Step 17

Spread the cornflake mixture evenly over the dish.
Step 18

The casserole can now be put in the refrigerator until half an hour before serving.
Step 19

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 20

Place the casserole in the oven for thirty minutes.
Step 21

After half an hour, remove the mac and cheese from the oven – it is ready to serve!