My mom doesn’t cook a lot but when she does, it’s usually pretty good. Growing up in a pretty vegetarian-friendly house meant lots of pasta and veggies. One meal in particular stood out: my mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese. There was a time back in elementary school when I preferred the box stuff. I was a fool. Below you’ll find my mom’s recipe, inspired by an old Betty Crocker one. We doubled the recipe — a whole box of elbow macaroni instead of a half — because this is an amazing meal. Leftovers go quickly.

Macaroni and Cheese: The complete dish

Bake in a buttered baking dish at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until it’s golden on top. We used a disposal lasagna tray.

Use about half a box of cooked elbow macaroni

2 cups of shredded cheese — My mom likes to mix three or more cheeses together, whatever is on hand, so it’s a bit different each time. She says sharp cheddar is a good choice for one of the cheeses.

1 teaspoon of salt

Ã.ü teaspoon of pepper

2 cups of cheese sauce

Cheese Sauce

4 tablespoons of butter

4 tablespoons of flour

Ã.ý teaspoon salt

Ã.ü teaspoon of pepper

2 teaspoons of dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups of milk

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a sauce pan. Add the Worcestershire sauce.

2. Blend the flour, salt, pepper, and mustard together. Mix this into the melted butter and cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.

3. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the milk. Return the pan to the stove and bring the mixture to a boil. Make sure you’re stirring constantly. Boil for a minute. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheese.

Put the cooked macaroni in the buttered baking dish. Pour the cheese mixture over and mix it together.

Mary Harnick’s secret tip: “Sometimes I add extra shredded cheese on top. Bake and eat it this with peas; it’s [Harnick] tradition!”