I tried this recipe tonight and I think I must have measured wrong since ours was very dry. I ended up just guessing at what 1/2lb of macaroni was since I just have a big bulk jar of it. Next time when I buy a bag I'll measure out how many cups that equals so I can hopefully make it to the recipe. I found that after the first 80min it was very dry and stuck so I ended up adding another cup of milk and some more cheese. It still was tasty. We tried what was recommended by other readers as we had never mixed the two - baked beans and this recipe and yes, they do go just right together. Together they tasted great - and the sauce from the baked beans moistened up the macaroni.