When you think of President Ronald Reagan, you might think about his beaming Hollywood smile or his loveable, charismatic relatability. But after you taste his very cheesy President Reagan’s Favorite Mac ‘n Cheese, this is what will come to mind immediately. Your taste buds will express with patriotic cheer how fond they are of the tender macaroni noodles all nestled together with melty cheesy goodness! And apparently President Reagan’s Favorite Mac ‘n Cheese is a dish that First Lady Nancy would serve the 40th president on the regular, so you can dine just like him… but maybe just minus the grandiose-ness of the White House dining room.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon butter, plus more, to taste, for greasing the dish
- 1/2 pound macaroni
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated, divided
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup milk
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a casserole dish with the extra butter.
Step 3 –In a large pot of salted water, cook the macaroni until al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 4 –Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then thoroughly drain the macaroni.
Step 5 –Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of the butter and the egg to the macaroni and stir until the butter is melted.
Step 6 –Add 2 cups of the cheese to the macaroni mixture and stir to combine.
Step 7 –In a small bowl, combine the remaining salt, the mustard, the milk, and reserved pasta water.
Step 8 –Pour the macaroni mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
Step 9 –Add the milk mixture to the macaroni mixture.
Step 10 –Sprinkle the macaroni mixture with the remaining cheese.
Step 11 –Bake the mac ‘n cheese until the center is set and the top is crusty, about 45 minutes.
Step 12 –Serve.
