A soon to be Thanksgiving favorite!

Last night I was a cooking fool. A real domestic diva. From my favorite 30-minute dinners cookbook, I made tuna noodle casserole, which was really tasty. And from my other Cook's Illustrated cookbook (favorite lost recipes), I made cheesy scalloped carrots. They are really fantastic! I think that Katie and I are planning to make them for Thanksgiving next year. Mmm... Here are the recipes.

Cheesy Scalloped Carrots

20 crushed Ritz crackers
5 tablespoons butter (with 2 tablespoons melted)
2 teaspoons salt
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1/2-inch slices
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (which must not be very important, because we didn't have any, so I didn't use it)
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. Toss the crushed Ritz crackers with the melted butter until evenly coated. Set aside.

2. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350*. Grease a 2-quart baking dish.

3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and the carrots and cook until barely tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, then transfer the carrots to a paper-towel lined plate.

4. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, mustard, pepper, celery salt, bring to a simmer, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the cheese until melted, then stir in the carrots.

5. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, top with the reserved crumb mixture, and bake until the filling is hot and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve.