As a college student living in one of the most expensive cities in America, I ask 2 questions before trying to cook a delicious meal. 1. Where and what do I cook with? 2. How much money do I have to spend on ingredients?
One of the best recipes that I have come across is “One Pot Mac n Cheese”. Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese is great because it’s cheap, super filling, easy to make, and you can add different ingredients to make it fancy, if that’s what you’re going for. The best part about this Mac ‘n Cheese, is that you only need one pot because if you’re like me, you live on campus and do not possess a plethora of pots and pans. Actually, I lied… the best part about this Mac ‘n Cheese is that it tastes amazing. If you and your friends are feeling hungry, keep reading for the recipe.
Ingredients
- 16oz Uncooked Elbow Macaroni
- 2, 8oz Shredded cheese of your choice
- Stick of Butter
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs
- 4-6 cups of 2% Milk
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Step 1: Boil that macaroni!
Pour 4 cups of milk into your pot or enough for the macaroni to swim freely in while they cook. Pour in the macaroni. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the macaroni is al dente (firm to the bite). Stir it occasionally so the milk doesn’t burn at the bottom of the pan.
Step 2: Butter and Cheese Please.
Stir in ¼ of the stick of butter. Stir in the shredded cheese, little by little, until it is no longer stringy. It should look and feel very creamy. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to your taste. At this point in the recipe, you can stir in any extra ingredients you want; like bacon bits, broccoli, a little bit of garlic salt or chicken.
Step 3: It’s getting toasty.
Once the macaroni is coated with cheesey deliciousness, level out the top with the back of a spoon so its an even surface inside the pan. Layer some cheese on top. Then layer on the breadcrumbs. SPRINKLE a little more cheese. Seriously, not a lot of cheese or the breadcrumbs won’t toast. Stick the whole pan in the oven until the breadcrumbs are a beautiful golden brown.
Step 4: ENJOY!
After the breadcrumbs are toasted, let it cool and enjoy!