This recipe is for really great macaroni and cheese. Don't read any further if you are on a diet.
The ingredients you will need:
2 1/2 c. cold water
1 c. dry milk (Carnation tastes the best)
2 c. macaroni (wheat macaroni will do fine, if you like it)
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, diced
1/2 c. cold non-fat milk (made from the dry powder) with an extra 1/2 c. dry milk added in.
Remember, milk burns. For the best results, assemble the ingredients first, then your attention can be completely devoted to constant stirring. :)
Make the cold skim milk with the extra dry milk added in first, and put it in the refrigerator. It should be very cold by the time it is added. Don't ask me why, it just works better when it's cold.
Measure everything out, dice the cheese, and then fire up the burner.
Bring the water to a boil. When it is at a full rolling boil, quickly add the cup of dry milk. The water should not stop boiling. Continue stirring constantly for a minute or two to break up any lumps of dry milk, then add the macaroni. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes, then add the butter and pepper. Reduce the heat so it still simmers while you are stirring, but is no longer at a full boil. Continue stirring, stirring, stirring, until most of the liquid is gone and the macaroni is cooked. It will be about 10 to 12 minutes. It won't be mushy cooked, but will be chewy and good. Turn off the burner. Dump in the cheese and salt, stir it around, and then add the cold dry milk mixture from the fridge. Stir it well, then cover it, and let it set, on the hot burner, for about five minutes. (If you have an electric stove, you must remove it completely from the heat or it will burn.)
Remove it from the burner, stir it as well as you want (some of my friends prefer that I leave little lumps of cheese in there, some of my friends like it smooth), and serve.
Some like it with paprika on top. It's really great with applesauce and a salad.
