Mac and Cheese

Ooey Gooey Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
I received this awesome, delicious recipe from my husband's grandma. Her recipe is amazing, although I have made some variations to it. She also uses a "secret ingredient" that she won't tell me, so it will not taste as magical as hers! :) Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 oz. macaroni elbows (use half of a 16 oz. box)
1 stick of butter (or margarine!)
1 16 oz. shredded or block of any cheese (I recommended a blended or combination cheese, i.e., Colby jack cheese, Monterrey jack cheese)
3 large eggs
16 oz. of milk
1 tablespoon of sour cream or mayonnaise for creaminess (optional)
1 tsp. of paprika (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


You will need

1 large pot
1 13x9 inch pan

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then,bring a pot of of salted water to a boil. Once the water has come to a boil, add the macaroni elbows. Stir occasionally for about seven minutes or until the macaroni elbows are al dente. Drain. Rinse in the sink two or three times to remove some of the starchy flavor. Return to pot.

Next, put pot on stove and set burner to medium temperature. Stir in stick of butter or margarine. While that is working, drop in the three eggs (they do not have to beaten beforehand). Continue to work the mixture with a spoon. Add the milk. Then, add the cheese in small pieces (cut small pieces of the block of cheese just drop in the shredded)and sour cream. Continue to stir. Once all the butter is melted and the cheese is semi melted, add the teaspoon of paprika and salt and pepper to taste. (Remember, salt gradually because you can always add salt, but you can never subtract it!)

Once the mixture is well blended, pour it into the 13x9 inch pan. Do not grease your pan because you have plenty of butter in your mixture. Place pan in oven. Cook at 400 degrees for twenty minutes or until the sides are a golden brown and the top is a golden yellow. To check, take your macaroni and cheese out of the oven and poke it with a fork. If the fork comes out clean, it is ready!