Smoked Macaroni & Cheese

We've all had macaroni and cheese.  Mac-n-Cheese dishes are a classic here in the United States.  But what some people may not know is this dish, otherwise known as a "Cheese and Pasta Casserole," dates back to the 14th Century.

If you can just close your eyes and imagine what your favorite mac-n-cheese tastes like, well, try to imagine what mac-n-cheese tastes like with smoked cheese!  It's even better!

For this dish, I will use the cheese I smoked the week prior.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Pasta (preferably elbows), uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups Smoked Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups Milk
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Ground Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Flour
• 1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika

Start by boiling the pasta so that it cooks while the sauce is being made.

Making the Sauce

Begin by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat.  Once melted, add salt, pepper, and flour into pan and stir together.  Once you've stirred it well, set the heat to low and stir until the mixture thickens.  Ensure there are no clumps of flour left in the mix.

Add the shredded cheese into pan and mix well over low heat until you have a smooth sauce. 

Add cooked macaroni to sauce mixture and stir.

Pour mixture into baking pan/dish.  Top macaroni and cheese with Breadcrumbs and Paprika.

Bake dish in 375F oven for 10 minutes and serve!