Baked mac and cheese
Baked, sans sauce… you may never have encountered this version of an old favorite. But it's easy and oh-so-soothing.

What you'll need:

1 lb. box of macaroni, elbow or medium shell
Butter
Pepper and salt
1 to 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese (to taste)
1 quart of whole or lowfat milk (do not use nonfat or skim)
Saltine crackers
A square baking pan (8- or 9-inch square should do) or a 1 1/2 quart baking dish (glass is preferred)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter your baking dish.
2. Boil the macaroni in boiling water according to the instructions on the box. Drain thoroughly.
3. Pour the cooked macaroni into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the cheese to the macaroni, and toss lightly to evenly distribute the cheese throughout the macaroni.
5. Carefully pour the entire quart of milk into the macaroni-cheese mixture.
6. Crush and sprinkle saltines over the top of the macaroni. Dot with little bits of butter.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melty, the milk is curdly, and the crackers are nice and brown.