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This macaroni and cheese reminds me of the one that was served in my hot lunch program when I was in grammar school. And that is not a bad thing! This is good old-fashioned mac & cheese at its best.

I picked it as the first recipe for my "Learn to Cook" series because it is so simple and so satisfying. Instant gratification for the cook, right off the bat!

You're going to cook pasta according to the directions on the package, with a little help from me. A package of elbow macaroni is usually 1 pound (16 ounces) and this recipe only calls for 12. So weigh it out if you have a kitchen scale, otherwise eyeball it; you'll want 3/4 of the package. Exact measurements aren't crucial here.

You're going to shred some cheese unless you buy it already shredded, which is just fine if you do. The recipe calls for 10 ounces of cheese. Most packages of sharp cheddar cheese are 8 ounces. So buy two and use 1/4 of the second package, and save the rest for another use or for munching later. Don't skimp on the cheese: better too much than too little.

"Why do I have to go through all that?" You might well ask. Why don't you just rewrite the recipe so that I use 8 ounces of cheese and less macaroni? Well ... to be honest, it's because I really didn't want to have to reinvent the recipe! And besides, it teaches you that sometimes ingredients aren't sold in the exact portions that you need, and that's ok. Leftover cheese is no problem because you can always use it in another recipe or snack on it. Pasta keeps virtually forever, so just put the leftover on the shelf and use it some other time.

Then you're going to put everything in the pot in which you cooked the pasta and stir it so that the cheese melts and everything is mixed well.

Finally, you dump it all in a buttered baking dish and bake it in the oven. The recipe calls for an 8"x12" baking dish, but if all you have is a 9"x9" or a 9"x13", that's ok too. With this recipe, the more surface area the better because you want all that nice crunchy pasta on the top that makes old fashioned mac & cheese so good!

For a complete meal, just add a salad. Buy one of those pre-packaged salad kits at the supermarket. They are a great time saver, and they even come in low-fat versions in some areas of the country.

So now what?

Since this is your first recipe, I'll give you some general direction that will apply to all recipes in this series. But first: make sure you've taken the Tour so you know how the site works. It only takes 10 minutes.

Read the info on the left and right of this screen to learn what tools, new ingredients, and techniques you'll be using. Click on any of the links for more info. Click the recipe name (at the top of this screen) to open up the actual recipe where you'll find even more information, links for every single ingredient and technique, and a button that will take you to the step-by-step illustrated instructions.

At-Home Safe Food Handling *

* with permission from Kansas State University Research & Extension