Mac & Cheesy Comfort

A culinary classic and quite possibly the world's favourite comfort food – and labeled as such in my husband's “Nana's Recipes” book. Quite a few years ago when his grandmother passed away, my husband's aunt put together a cookbook of Nana's best and most savoured recipes. Each grandkid got one for Christmas that year. This book has been a default of ours whenever we feel like a simple and familiar home cooked meal.

A generous spoonful of this gooey creation was all I needed to feel warm and fuzzy inside. I felt like a kid again with every bite. I think I even held my fork the way I would have at say, 5 years old.


What I love most about this recipe is that, although very cheesy, it's not too rich. The addition of sautéed onions and golden, crispy bits of bread make this dish perfect.

What you’ll need
2 cups elbow macaroni
6 tbs butter
1/4 onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
3 tbs flour
2 cups milk
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 cups cheddar, grated
1 slice buttered bread, chopped fine
2 tbs parmesan cheese

What to do
Preheat oven to 375. Cook macaroni, drain.
In Pyrex casserole over med heat, melt butter and saute onion until limp. Add thyme and flour, stir. Add milk slowly, whisking. Add bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, pepper. Salt to taste while mixture comes to a boil, stirring.
Cook until thickened. Remove bay leaf, add cheese. Add macaroni. Stir. Remove from heat and spread buttered bread crumbs on top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for 20-30 minutes.