Day 160: Mac and Apples

Yield: 4 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup dried pasta
water (to boil pasta)
salt and pepper
1 ½ Tbsp butter
1 ½ Tbsp flour
1 ½ cup milk
¾ block medium cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

1 granny smith apple

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 ½ Tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Boil the pasta in salted water until a little but undercooked. Not soggy, and set aside
2. In a pot, add the butter until it is melted, and then add the flour
3. Whisk the two until it forms a paste, and then add the milk
4. Keep whisking until smooth, and cook on med high until it starts to thicken
5. When it is the thickness you like, like a melted ice cream, add the shredded cheddar cheese.
6. Whisk until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste. Then the cayenne
7. Preheat oven to 375F
8. Cut up the apple (skin on or off, I have it on) into bite size pieces
9. Add the pasta and apple to the sauce and stir.
10. Pour into a casserole dish
11. Melt the butter and add the bread crumbs to make a crumbly mixture
12. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole and bake until the top browns and the sauce begins to bubble.

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: wow, this is so killer! Thanks to my girl roomies we cleaned this up! It is spicy, sweet with the apple, and creamy good! The crumbly bread crumbs on top make it much more special. You must try this! You can add bacon, another kind of cheese with it, whatever you like. Maggie, if you are reading this, try it!! Mac and cheese just is always perfect. I could make this any day of the week.