Perfect Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe from: The Old Farmer's Everyday Cookbook Almanac

I normally detest homemade mac and cheese and love the box kind. Well then pregnancy cravings hit and I changed my mind. I still like the box kind but I really wanted the homemade kind tonight so I tried it and it turned out really yummy.

Recipe
1 pound uncooked macaroni

Topping:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups (1 pound) shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat over to 350 F. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish (I used a 2 1/2-quart dish).

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

For topping: In small skillet, melt the butter, add the bread crumbs, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

For sauce: In small skillet (I used the same skillet as above to save on dishes, aka we are a no dishwasher household), melt butter over low heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate saucepan, heat the milk to almost boiling, and add to it the butter and flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

Put one-third of macaroni in bottom of casserole dish. Cover it with one-third of cheese, then pour one-third of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat, making two more layers. Spoon buttered bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Tips after making: I didn't not use a whole pound of macaroni. I'll make half the pasta next time, the whole amount of sauce the recipe calls for, and then half of the shredded cheddar cheese.