Homemade Mac and Cheese
My daughter told me this mac and cheese is "better than the box kind." She's seven. She eats mac and cheese roughly four times a week. So when she looks up from her plate and says something like that,
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups sharp cheddar (freshly grated)
- 1 cup gruyère or mild cheddar (freshly grated)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
For the topping
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Method
Step 1: Cook the pasta short
- Boil the elbow macaroni for 2 minutes less than the package says. You want it slightly underdone because it'll keep cooking in the oven. Drain, toss with a drizzle of olive oil so it doesn't stick, and set aside.
Step 2: Build the cheese sauce
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 2 minutes until it smells nutty and turns slightly golden — that's your roux. Slowly whisk in the milk and cream. Keep whisking until the sauce comes to a gentle simmer and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of the shredded cheese, a handful at a time, until completely melted and smooth. Add the dry mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Taste it. The sauce should taste rich and bold — remember, the pasta will dilute the flavor a bit.
Step 3: Combine and bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Fold the pasta into the cheese sauce. Pour half into the dish, sprinkle with half of the remaining cup of cheese, then add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining cheese.
- Mix the panko with melted butter and Parmesan. Scatter over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. If you want extra crunch, broil for 1-2 minutes at the end — but watch it like a hawk because panko goes from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds.