Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I am submitting this recipe as a part of Kitchen Stewardship's October Fest Carnival of Super Foods for her Un-processed Foods Edition.  Check it out for lots of tasty recipes! 

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Previously, I have always just made mac and cheese from the box.  Lately, I've been tempted to try my hand at a homemade version, partly as an effort to cut out processed foods and partly because my sister in law raves about how delicious the homemade version is!  I made this for the guys last night and we all loved it!  You should have seen my son gobbling it up.  Of course, he does gobble up just about anything, but he really did seem to like it.  I felt good that this was a homemade dish and that I knew exactly what went into it. 

Macaroni and Cheese V

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Now, I did use whole grain bread crumbs, and I had inteded to use whole grain flour and macaroni, but my son was fussy in the grocery store, so I got a little flustered while shopping and didn't remember to grab the whole grain version!  I did use whole milk though (for more info on full fat dairy, check out this article). 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.  Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl and mix well with the melted butter; set aside. 

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, then place into prepared casserole dish.

3. While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablspoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the minced onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the flour, pepper, salt and dry mustard until incorporated, then pour in the milk and bring to a simmer.  Simmer, stirring constantly until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes.  Take the milk off the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted.  Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni, then sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.

5. Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. 

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes

What do you put in your homemade macaroni and cheese?  Do you have any variations?  What do you do to make this dish healthier? 

I found this recipe here.