Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

While we've been on the bbq tour this year, we've had a lot of mac and cheese.  Some pretty good, some fair, some not good at all.  So for our Memorial Day meal, I wanted some honest to goodness, cheesy baked macaroni and cheese that was rich and delicious.  This fit the bill perfectly.

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 T. butter

2 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)

8 oz. elbow macaroni (cooked for 5 minutes and drained)

paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Microwave milk/cream for 1 1/2 minutes.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth.  Whisk constantly for 1 minute.

Gradually whisk in the warm milk, and cook, whisking constantly for 5 minutes.  The mixture will thicken.

Whisk in the salt, black pepper, dry mustard, and nutmeg.

Stir in 2 cups of the shredded cheese until the mixture becomes smooth.  Next, stir in the pasta and remove from heat.  When the pasta is completely coated, spoon into a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish.

Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.