Starches are yummy

This week we finally make the promised Mac and Cheese.

Macaroni and Cheese
Macaroni- 1lb
Butter- 2 tbs
Flour-2 tbs
Milk- about 16 oz (more or less according to how thick you want it.)
Cheese- 1-2 cups shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Dry mustard- 1/4 tsp if you have it.

Easy recipe. Cook pasta. Make roux (flour and butter), add milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. At this point you have made a bechamel sauce. Add the cheese, let it melt and incorporate, then taste. If you find that you need more flavor you can add a little chicken stock, for some reason this helps cheese sauces. Pour your sauce over the macaroni and mix, tah-dah you're basically done. If you want to take it another step and bake it "homestyle", put some more cheese on top and perhaps some breadcrumbs. You can now broil it quickly, just to get the crust, or you can bake it at 350 for a while. Baking will make it a little drier.

Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe is exactly the same as the Mac and Cheese recipe. Only you use cooked potatoes instead of macaroni.

As with any of the recipes that we do in the podcasts, changing things is good. If you use the basic recipes and add ingredients that you like, it personalizes the dish. Don't be afraid to try new things when you cook. The mac & cheese that I made on the show wasn't great. I wanted to try the jalepenos because they are normally a good marriage with cheeses. In this case, not so much. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I was looking for. But that is what cooking is all about. Here are a few additional things that I have tried with these recipes that I know work well. Use the scalloped potato recipe and add ham and broccoli. Or cooked onions and peppers. Or Kolbasi, or smoked sausage, or bacon. I think you get the idea. Remember, your recipes are only limited by your imagination.