Comfort food- Mac n cheese

Growing up, the only macaroni my brother and I knew was the blue box- Kraft dinner. My dad made it for us when we were little, and we gradually started making it on our own. To this day, my brother and I love mac and cheese! It was the comfort food of our childhood.

Eventually, we outgrew the blue box. Kraft mac n cheese tastes a bit sad to an adult palate- the noodles are limp and the cheese comes in powdered form. I searched for alternatives- recipes, restaurant dishes. While I can appreciate baked varieties of macaroni, it just isn't the kind I grew up with. I wanted something familiar: creamy, smooth sauce but with a sharper flavor.

This is what I came up with. It's a grown-up recipe for mac and cheese, but still with the same qualities you loved as a child. It's just as fast as boxed macaroni. I like my macaroni simple, but you can add bacon bits, onion, crab, or cheese and breadcrumbs and bake. Try it, you won't regret it!

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
loosely adopted from an Alton Brown recipe

Ingredients
1/2 pound macaroni or shell pasta
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon mustard
12 ounces shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, provolone, mozzarella a mix, whatever you have on hand)

Directions
1. Cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and return to the same pot. Add in the butter, tossing to coat.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, milk, hot sauce, pepper, and mustard. Add the mixture to the pasta and stir over very low heat for a few minutes. Be sure not to curdle the egg with too much heat. Serve immediately.