It doesn’t get more comforting than this. My latest series is focused on the queen of comfort food: Macaroni and Cheese. This dish can be found in some form or fashion around the world and I’m on the search to find the best versions. I’m kicking off the series with a classic American variation known as baked macaroni and cheese.

This recipe comes to us courtesy of Nakia, who is currently living in Seattle, Washington in the United States. For Nakia, baked macaroni and cheese is closely tied with happy childhood memories. Nakia’s grandmother was known for her recipe and always prepared a batch for holidays, birthdays, special occasions, or any time the family needed something comforting. These days, Nakia has been carrying on the tradition by cooking baked macaroni and cheese for her own family. Although, she always makes sure to let her grandmother know when she’s putting the family recipe to use.

If you’re craving a plate of Nakia’s grandmother’s baked macaroni and cheese for yourself, then you’ll be thrilled to know how easy this recipe is to make. You’ll start with pasta, flour, milk, eggs, butter, and plenty of cheese. Nakia’s go-to combination is Cheddar cheese, Gouda, and a bit of Parmesan. However, I threw in a bit of Pepperjack for an extra spicy punch.

Once your pasta noodles of choice have boiled, you’ll combine them with a homemade Béchamel sauce, and then bake everything together until it’s nice and crispy on the top. Don’t be scared if you haven’t made a Béchamel sauce at home before. It’s simply a creamy sauce that’s made from whisking together butter, flour, and milk until thick. Then, you can fold in all of that amazing cheese to the Béchamel.

Nakia shares that her favorite part of the baked macaroni and cheese is the crunchy cheese topping that forms during baking. Though, she also points out that you can add breadcrumbs to the top as well for even crispier results. However, no matter the toppings, cheese, or pasta noodles you use, I guarantee that this will come out perfectly.

In Nakia’s house, baked macaroni and cheese barely has time to cool from the oven before it’s being served and enjoyed. And that’s exactly what this recipe is all about – Irresistible comfort.