Grandpa’s Secret Macaroni and Cheese

Be still, my beating heart! Himself has given up the secret recipe he has clutched to his bosom for 28 years, since he first created it for his younger daughter’s first-grade class. It was an instant hit, and has been a family favorite ever since. Friends and family have tried without success to pry this recipe from him, but I’m his wife, and I haf vays!  

Got the recipe! Promised him I wouldn’t tell a soul! Liar, liar, pants on fire, here it is! The secret ingredient is Worcestershire sauce - and plenty of it! The correct way to pronounce that lovely word is “Woos-ter” - but some folks disagree.

Grandpa’s Secret Macaroni and Cheese:

4 c. (1 L) dry macaroni

2 tsp. (10 mL) canola or olive oil

4 c. (1 L) milk

¼ c. (60 mL) butter or margarine

¼ c. (60 mL) all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

7 tbsp.(105 mL) Worcestershire sauce
5 tbsp. (75 mL) ballpark mustard

1 lb. (454 g) pkg. grated aged cheddar

Two pieces dry toast, crumbled 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water and a little oil to a rolling boil. Add macaroni, stirring well to keep pasta from sticking to bottom of pot.  Cook about 12 minutes. Drain cooked macaroni, returning to pot. Melt butter in a medium saucepan on medium-low heat. Add flour, stirring about 30 sec. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until sauce thickens. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Remove from heat, adding half the grated cheddar cheese and stirring until melted. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni, combining well. 

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Transfer cooked, sauced macaroni to large, greased baking dish. Spread half of remaining cheddar evenly over macaroni. Top macaroni and cheese with crumbed toast. Sprinkle remaining cheddar over bread crumbs. Bake 20 min.

Assemble your ingredients - milk
and cheese, too!

Boil salted water. Add macaroni.
Cook al dente - just until tender.

Cheese sauce: Combine melted butter with flour.

Gradually add milk, whisking well.

Whisk! Whisk! Whisk! as the macaroni simmers.

Whoo hoo! Bring on the mustard for some zip!

Add Worcestershire sauce - lots!

Remove from heat: Stir in half of cheese until melted.

Pour sauce over well-drained macaroni: Mix well.

Transfer to greased baking dish.

Sprinkle with half remaining cheese.

Crumble cubed toast (or croutons).

Sprinkle crumbs over entire dish.

Top with remaining cheese. Into the oven this goes!