This recipe serves four and it’s so good, once you do this or your own version of this you will never go back to the packaged macaroni dinners.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups milk

1 Onion

8. Peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Scant 4 Tablespoons of butter

Scant 1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pepper

31/2 oz. sharp cheese cheddar grated

31/2 oz Roquefort cheese crumbled

12 oz of dried macaroni,

31/2 oz. Gruyere or Emmental cheese grated

Instructions:

Put the milk, onion, peppercorns, and Bayleaf in a pan bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour until well combined and smooth cook over medium heat stirring constantly for one minute. Remove from the heat. Strain the milk and stir a little into the butter and flour mixture until well incorporated.

Return to the heat and gradually add the remaining milk, stirring constantly, into the milk into the butter and flour mixture until well Incorporated. Cook for an additional three minutes and stir until a sauce is smooth and thickened, then add the nutmeg, cream, and pepper to taste add the cheddar and Roquefort cheeses and stir until melted.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and return to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until it’s tender. Drain well and add to the cheese sauce stir well together. Preheat the broiler to high spoon the macaroni and cheese into an open a proof serving dish then scatter the Gruyere cheese and cook under broiler until bubbling and brown.

— Judy Lange