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1
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
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2
Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked.
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3
Pour the macaroni into a colander and drain off the cooking water.
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4
Preheat the oven to 350F.
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5
Melt the butter in the same saucepan over medium heat.
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6
Add the flour and stir constantly until the mixture starts to bubble.
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7
Add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth.
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8
Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it comes to a boil.
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9
Remove the pan from the heat, add the American cheese slices, and stir until the cheese is completely melted.
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10
Add the macaroni and stir gently until it is completely coated with the cheese.
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11
Place the macaroni in a large baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
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12
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
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13
A roux (roo) is a very handy thing to know how to make.
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14
Its simply a mixture of flour and fat that is used to thicken soups or sauces.
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15
In this recipe you make a white roux by cooking the flour and butter just until it starts to bubble.
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16
You could make a blond roux by cooking the mixture a little longer until it is golden brown, or you could make a dark roux by cooking it until it is dark brown with a nutty aroma.
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17
The key to making a roux is to cook it slowly over low heat and to stir it constantly.
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18
Bechamel sauce (BEH-shah-mel) is a basic French sauce that is used as a base for many soups and sauces and is quite easy.
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19
Here you make a thin bechamel sauce by adding milk to the roux and cooking it until it comes to a boil.
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20
Doubling or tripling the amount of butter and flour will make thicker sauces.
