Baked Mac n' Cheese I Had in My Fridge

In my last post I made a point of saying our family eats healthy during the week and then on the weekends it's no holds bar.  Wouldn't you know the first recipe I post is none other than cheesy, gooey, yummy, carbohydrate filled deliciousness?!?!  We had company last night and I decided to throw together a mac n' cheese with whatever cheese I had in my fridge....and it was the best mac n cheese I've made yet!  If you're a mouse like me, you should have a variety of half eaten blocks of cheese, sliced cheeses and bags of shredded cheese in your deli drawer.  So get creative and see what hodge podge of cheeses you can throw together for a delicious mac n' cheese.  Or just follow my recipe! LOL  Depending on how fancy you want to get, mac n' cheese can be a pretty pricey side dish.  This was made using fairly inexpensive cheese and hence the title, I already had everything in my house so I didn't have to go and buy anything.

Unfortunately there are no pictures to accompany this recipe.  I have no natural light coming into my kitchen and it doesn't make for pretty food photos :(.   Gotta figure something out!  But nonetheless, this is a great recipe.  Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients
1 lb. cooked elbow macaroni, al dente
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 cup grated monterey jack
2 1/2 cups Kraft Mexican Four Cheese blend (1 cup reserved for topping)
3 slices Kraft American cheese
4 slices Boars Head Lacey Swiss
1/2 cup grated parmesan romano
Couple shakes of garlic powder
3 heaping teaspoons of salt/pepper mixture*

*I grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, add an equal amount of sea salt, and then grind them both together. I keep this mixture in a little tin by my stove and it is delish! So when you see salt/pepper in the recipe, this is what I'm reaching for.


Directions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour to create a roux.  Lower heat to medium low and add milk, whisking constantly.  Mixture will start to thicken.  When it does, turn heat down to low.   Add in the cheese and whisk until all is melted and smooth.  Add seasoning and taste.  If you think it needs more salt/pepper or you like a little cayenne in your mac, go for it! (I was trying to make it PG last night so my 5 year old would eat it, but normally I might throw in a little cayenne)  In a large bowl (or the pot you cooked the mac in), fold cheese mixture into the macaroni.   Grease a 9x13 glass dish and pour in the mac.   Add reserved shredded cheese to the top and sprinkle on a little more salt/pepper (if desired). Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  While the oven is heating, let the mac sit on the countertop.   After 10 minutes the oven should be ready. Pop it in the oven and bake until top is golden.   Let the mac sit about 10 minutes before serving (or the roof of your mouth will not be happy).  Enjoy!