Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 1
Directions
- 1Melt butter in a pot over medium heat.
- 2Add flour to the melted butter and whisk to combine, cooking for about a minute to create a roux.
- 3Slowly stream in milk while whisking to create a béchamel sauce.
- 4Season the béchamel with salt and pepper, and optionally with aromatics like smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, chili powder, Dijon mustard, or mustard powder.
- 5Grate your chosen cheeses.
- 6Add the grated cheeses to the béchamel sauce off heat and mix, leaving some pockets of unmelted cheese.
- 7Cook the pasta of your choice.
- 8Drain the cooked pasta.
- 9Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well.
- 10Pour the mac and cheese mixture into a baking dish.
- 11Top with your choice of toppings, such as garlic breadcrumbs or shredded cheese.
- 12Bake in the oven until the sides are bubbling and the center is hot.
- 13Serve the classic mac and cheese.
- 14For variation #1, caramelize sliced shallots in a pan until jammy.
- 15Add the caramelized shallots to the béchamel and cheese sauce and mix.
- 16Add cooked pasta to the shallot and cheese sauce mixture and mix.
- 17Pour the shallot mac and cheese into a baking dish.
- 18Top with crispy fried onions or crispy shallots.
- 19Bake the shallot mac and cheese.
- 20For variation #2, cook the pasta of your choice.
- 21Add minced garlic and gochujang to the béchamel base.
- 22Season with a splash of soy sauce instead of mustard and salt.
- 23Add your choice of cheeses that pair well with gochujang.
- 24Drain the cooked pasta.
- 25Add the drained pasta to the gochujang cheese sauce and mix.
- 26Pour the gochujang mac and cheese into a baking dish.
- 27Top with breadcrumbs with Korean pepper flakes.
- 28Bake the gochujang mac and cheese.
- 29Serve the gochujang mac and cheese with thinly sliced green onions.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 4 cups milk
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- nutmeg
- chili powder
- Dijon mustard
- mustard powder
- salt
- pepper
- sharp cheddar cheese
- manchego cheese
- asiago cheese
- provolone cheese
- gouda cheese
- smoked gouda cheese
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- brie cheese
- gruyere cheese
- fontina cheese
- taleggio cheese
- camembert cheese
- American cheese
- pasta
- garlic bread crumbs
- shredded cheese
- caramelized leek
- onion
- shallot
- crispy fried onions
- crispy shallots
- minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp gochujang
- soy sauce
- scallions
- Korean pepper flakes
Equipment
potwhiskgraterbaking dishovenspatulacolandermetal bowl
Tips
- To make a roux, use equal parts fat and flour, e.g., 3 Tbsp butter and 3 Tbsp flour.
- 3 Tbsp of flour can thicken up to 4 cups of milk for the béchamel.
- Add aromatics like smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, or chili powder to your béchamel to infuse flavor into the mac and cheese.
- For a depth of flavor without tainting the cheese taste, season with Dijon mustard or mustard powder, in addition to salt and pepper.
- Choose your cheeses wisely, ensuring a mix of sharp, creamy, and funky cheeses for a balanced flavor profile.
- To prevent a cheesy sauce from breaking or getting oily, add an emulsifying cheese like American cheese.
- Add cheese off heat to prevent a gritty cheese sauce.
- Mix your cheese into the sauce but not all the way, creating pockets of cheesy goodness that will melt when baked.
- Choose pasta shapes that have a good mouthfeel and hold cheese sauce well, such as medium shells, large elbows, or cavatappi.
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