This might look like an easy recipe, but trust me, you need to choose the right ingredients and pay attention to certain things to be sure it comes out perfect and right, as your grandmother used to do.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 240g pasta (basically half a pack) (the perfect choice would be macaroni, but any tubular one does the job)
- 1/4 cup butter;
- 1/4 cup flour;
- 1 cup whole milk (it is fundamental that it is cold);
- 1 cup heavy cream (we want it fridge cold too);
1 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar (you can either choose white or yellow, but it must be sharp, and you must choose the block and not the pre-shredded; it makes a lot of difference); - 1 cup Colby;
- 1/2 cup Gruyère;
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (to spread on top along with the half cup of shredded cheddar);
- Seasonings:
- smoked paprika,
- garlic powder,
- onion powder,
- black pepper,
- ground nutmeg (game changer!) – I suggest 1/3 tsp each, but it’s up to you.
Time needed: 1h and 15 mins total.
Steps:
First of all, cook the pasta as per the box instructions, but undercook it a bit; it is important not to have it mushy.
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Golden trick: when cooked, rinse the pasta under cold water and place it in a bowl or a deep dish with a drizzle of oil; it will avoid the pasta from sticking and stop the cooking, giving you all the time to get the sauce ready.
Now let’s move on to the sauce: place a deep pot on medium heat and use it to melt the butter, then add the flour (must be sifted!) and whisk it until it comes away from the sides of the pot. At this point, start pouring the cold milk and heavy cream, really slowly and keeping stirring. It must stay on the stove; however, you never stop stirring, otherwise it is going to either stick to the bottom or form lumps.
So go slowly, take your time here. After adding all 2 cups, keep cooking and stirring until it starts boiling and becomes dense. It will take about 5 to 10 mins, and I know it will be boring, but trust me, completely worth it, and basically after this we are going to be done.
Add here the seasonings you choose.
When it becomes dense, turn the heat to very low and start melting the cheese: then slowly, better if shredded, but cubed will work too- let it melt and keep stirring. Remember to leave half a cup of the cheddar to put on top. Always check the sauce to see if, for your taste, you need a pinch of salt.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Mix the pasta in the sauce evenly, then toss it in a casserole and cover the surface with both the grated Parmesan cheese and the fresh shredded sharp cheddar.
Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is brown and crispy on top.
When ready, set it out of the oven for 5 minutes before serving it, then enjoy!
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the pasta per box instructions, but slightly undercooked so it isn’t mushy.
- Rinse the pasta under cold water. Place in a bowl or deep dish with a drizzle of oil to stop cooking and prevent sticking.
- Melt the butter in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the sifted flour and whisk until it pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- Pour in the cold milk and heavy cream very slowly, stirring constantly.
- Keep cooking and stirring until it boils and thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the seasonings.
- Turn the heat to very low. Stir in the cheddar, Colby and Gruyère until melted, keeping 1/2 cup cheddar for topping. Shredded is best, but cubed works too.
- Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Mix the pasta evenly into the sauce and transfer to a casserole. Cover the top with the grated Parmesan and the reserved shredded cheddar.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until brown and crispy on top.
- Rest 5 minutes out of the oven before serving.