Easy Homemade Mac

I’m guilty—I have, on ravenous occasions, busted out a package of Easy Mac, thrust it in the microwave, and unceremoniously chowed down on its contents less than five minutes later. Did I feel good about it? No, especially given my current reputation for cooking actual food rather than food that looks fluorescent.

I am not above admitting that Easy Mac is sometimes necessary. After all, if you truly have only ten minutes with which to make and eat dinner, it’s better to eat Easy Mac than nothing at all. But if you have even five more spare minutes, you can make something tastier, healthier, and all-around better.

That’s right—I’m talking about homemade mac and cheese.

It doesn’t get any easier than this, folks:

INGREDIENTS

• cheese of your choice (I like a mix of cheddar and parmesan)

• milk

• flour

• pasta (any kind words, but elbow macaroni is nice for nostalgia’s sake)

1.    Boil the pasta until it’s done. Drain. (Time: 10-12 minutes.)

2.    While the pasta is boiling, mix together ½ cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of flour for each serving of mac and cheese. (Time: 1 minute.)

3.    Put the pasta in a bowl or back in the pot. Stir in the milk-flour mixture, and cook on low heat until bubbly. (Time: 1 minute.)

4.    Turn off the heat, and stir in the cheese. (Time: 30 seconds.)

5.    Eat.

That’s it! Fast, easy, delicious—I don’t ever want to hear any more excuses for eating something that looks nuclear when you can make this instead.

[photo from i.timeinc.net]