You'll feel like a kid again: Mac & cheese

I started a new job this week, and I've been so busy I haven't done much cooking. We had takeout Chinese last night, and ordered pizza the night before. Finally tonight, I managed to cook dinner, even though we didn't have a lot of groceries on hand. What to fix? On hand, I found cheese, pasta and some milk and butter. So I made macaroni and cheese.

I'm kind of a purist about mac & cheese. I don't use processed cheese. I keep ingredients to a minimum. Noodles, cheese, milk, a few bread crumbs. That's about it.

This is a dish I don't cook often (especially since my kids left home) though I love it just about better than any other food available anywhere. Does mac & cheese have any redeeming social value? Not that I know of, but it's so go-o-o-ooo-oood.

Here's my basic recipe:

16 ounces macaroni or other pasta (such as penne or rotini)
2 to 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 stick butter
1 cup milk
Dried parsley flakes
1 cup saltine cracker crumbs or Panko crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Return to cooking pot, add butter and mix well. Add cheese. Stir. Then add milk. Butter a 9-by-11-inch casserole dish. Add pasta and cheese mixture to casserole dish. Top with crumbs and parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (And then just try to limit yourself to only one serving!)