A Thanksgiving Recipe: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I am not a cook. I find that most of the time when I venture into the kitchen to prepare anything that requires more than microwaving I injure myself — I sliced a finger open on the lid of a can (that was actually dog food). Rummaging around in my utensils drawer, I managed to come too close to a sharp peeler (I didn’t even know I had one of those). Just walking through my kitchen I bashed my knee on the side of the dishwasher, leaving a gash that bled forever (I still have the scar). When I do actually manage to get to the cooking part, the food turns out burned, under-cooked, tough or otherwise inedible. So when a recipe comes along that I can actually prepare and people want to eat, it quickly becomes my signature dish. This homemade macaroni and cheese, which I learned at the hands of a wonderful cook— Monroe resident Patricia Conwell — is what I make for most occasions. Thanksgiving dinner? I’m preparing the mac and cheese? It’s a simple dish to prepare but tastes delicious and makes me look like I might actually know my way around a kitchen.

Ingredients

• 1 box of bowtie pasta
• 2 to 3 cups cheddar cheese, depending on preferred cheesiness
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of milk

Directions

Boil the pasta according to directions provided on the packaging. Once tender, drain and spoon half the pasta into a medium-sized baking dish. Cover that layer of pasta with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Spoon the remaining pasta into the dish and cover with the rest of your cheese. Combine the egg and milk in a small container and stir with a whisk. Pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the pasta and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the milk and egg mixture has cooked. You can tell whether this is the case by carefully turning the dish on its side above the sink. If any liquid runs out, pop the dish back into the oven for five to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

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