For as long as I can remember, my little brother always wanted macaroni & cheese for his birthday dinner. This recipe is a far cry from the recipe my mother made during our childhood but every time I make this one regardless of the cheese I “happen” to use, people clamor for the recipe. This recipe is fast and easy!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp butter to grease your casserole dish or spray with Pam
• 12-oz egg noodles – yes, egg noodles, don’t substitute, you’ll find out why when you make this
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups half & half
• ½ cup water
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper NOTE: I tend to add closer to ½ tsp of pepper
• 2 cups grated fontina cheese (packed) NOTE: I will often use white cheddar or a mix of white cheddar and regular cheddar and sometimes pepper jack if those you are cooking for like a spicier version
• ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese (packed)
• ¾ cup grated mozzarella (packed) NOTE: I never substitute here
• 1 tbsp parsley if fresh, double if using dried
• Salted water to boil pasta

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Grease your 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and set aside.
3. Cook the egg noodles per the package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water (about 2-3 tbsps). Cook till still firm , roughly 5-7 minutes.
4. Whisk together the cream, milk (or half and half and water), flour, ½ tsp salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
5. Stir in 1 cup of the Fontina cheese (or the cheese you opted to use) NOTE: sometimes I up the volume of cheese here by maybe another ½ cup, ½ cup of the parmesan and ½ cup of the mozzarella and the parsley. Mix well!
6. Drain your egg noodles when they are done cooking but do not rinse.
7. Add the noodles to the mixing bowl and toss well to coat. YES, the mixture will seem very runny but trust me on this! Dump the well mixed noodle mixture into the prepared baking dish.
8. Toss the remaining grated cheeses together in a small bowl to blend and sprinkle over the top of the noodle mixture that’s in the casserole dish.
9. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and the top begins to brown – roughly 20-25 minutes depending on your oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving as it will thicken up a little more but it will not be firm so serve and enjoy. This is extremely creamy and good!