Quick Macaroni and Cheese

Here's a great Quick Macaroni and Cheese recipe for those times when you are in a hurry, yet not desperate enough to go for the blue box. Elise over at Simply Recipes never seems to disappoint and even though my husband was a little concerned about adding lemon juice to the dish, in the end he thought it was delicious.

Quick Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe courtesy of Simply Recipes

2 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups, packed)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup ham, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
Freshly grated black pepper

In a medium sized bowl, mix corn starch into the grated cheese, so that the cheese is coated, set aside. This will help the cheese from getting too stringy.

Bring 2 quarts of water with the teaspoon of salt to a boil in thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the elbow macaroni and follow the cooking time instructions on the package, minus about 2 minutes. (If your macaroni doesn't come with instructions, start checking at 7 minutes). Cook until al dente - cooked through, but still slightly firm. Drain the water from the cooking pan (if you use a colander, return the macaroni to the pan). Lower the heat to low/warm.

Add the butter. Stir in to coat the macaroni. When the butter is about half melted, you can stir in the cheese. Add the milk. Add lemon juice. Stir in until all the butter and cheese is just melted and blended well with the milk. Do not over-stir. Add the chopped ham and a few twists of freshly grated black pepper.

Serve immediately. Serves 3-4 adults or 4-6 kids.