# Mac and Cheese

A delicious mac and cheese recipe perfect for Thanksgiving, featuring a blend of cheeses and a homemade béchamel sauce.

- Total time: 22 min
- Cuisine: American
- Category: Dinner
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 0.33 cup Butter
- 0.33 cup flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1.5 tbsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tbsp onion powder
- 1.5 tbsp smoked paprika
- 0.75 tbsp cayenne pepper
- Salt
- black pepper
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 slices American Cheese
- 2 cups Mild-Medium Cheddar
- 1 cup Gruyère Cheese
- 1 cup Gouda
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 pounds pasta of choice
- Chives

## Instructions

1. Prepare a seasoning blend with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.
2. Melt butter in a pot.
3. Add seasoning to the melted butter and toast for a minute or two.
4. Drop in an equal amount of flour to create a roux.
5. Slowly stream in whole milk, whisking constantly to create a smooth béchamel sauce.
6. Add more of the seasoning to the béchamel.
7. Add a hefty pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
8. Add a scoop of Dijon mustard.
9. Turn off the heat and start melting the cheese, beginning with American cheese slices.
10. Slowly drop in the cheese blend (mild cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, gruyere).
11. Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce.
12. Transfer the mac and cheese into an oven-safe dish.
13. Top with another light layer of cheese blend.
14. Bake in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes.
15. Broil for a couple of minutes until the top is golden brown.
16. Garnish with chives.

## Equipment

- big old pot
- whisk
- oven safe dish

## Tips

- Keep adding milk to the roux to get a nice and smooth béchamel.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.tiktok.com/@chefzealand/video/7441339859018763566?lang=en
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/f906d36d-6a6b-4e1a-89cc-ecdb30c67434
- Extracted: 2025-11-23

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt