Mac and Cheese!

I have to admit, I have always had a love hate relationship with Mac and Cheese. I love the concept of it, but I rarely ever ate one that felt really worth it, you know? Lots of processed cheese and not a ton of flavor. But yet I would eat it anyway. WELL, enter my GF lifestyle, and mac and cheese hasn't really been something that I missed terribly. Until now. I found some great gf macaroni noodles that I wanted to try out. So, I tried my own variation on P-Dubs Mac and Cheese. It was delish and not butter laden. And ps, the darling bowl above is one my sister gave me for Christmas. LOVE it.


Mac and Cheese (I made half a recipe for me- this halves easily)
4 cups Dried Macaroni (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta)
1 whole Egg, beaten
4 Tablespoons Butter
¼ cups GF (I used Jules again) or All-purpose Flour
2-½ cups Milk (P-Dubs swears you have to use whole milk, but skim Lactaid milk
worked great for me)
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, Grated (Go sharp or go home)
½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

Cook macaroni until you think "If this just cooked one more minute, it would be perfect." Drain. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn, but I did let my butter brown a little. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. *Here's a little confession: I didn't have dried mustard so I squirted the condiment in, and I thought it was great! Cook for five minutes until very thick. Add cheese and seasonings, then reduce heat to low. Pour noodles in and mix with cheese sauce. Let simmer on low for about 20 minutes over the stove. P-dubs puts an egg in hers and then bakes it in the oven, but I think this dries out the sauce too much. No offense, Ree. I have added chicken, spinach, and mushrooms for a one-dish wonder and I have eaten just like that. Enjoy!