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Before macaroni and cheese came from the cardboard box, it was a delicious, homemade casserole. Here is a creamy, easy recipe that beats the box by a mile.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow pasta
- ½ cup butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon dried mustard or up to 1 teaspoon. Dijon mustard (optional)
- A few shakes of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 10 to 12 ounces extra sharp cheddar
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- Buttered breadcrumbs (optional)
Steps
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1Heat the milk (on the stove or in the microwave), but don't let it boil. Keep it warm.
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2Grate the cheese coarsely and set it aside (a food processor with a grater disc will do this quickly).Advertisement
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3Bring a big pot of water to a boil, add salt to the water, then add the macaroni. As soon as the macaroni is in the water, start the next step (making the sauce). You want the sauce and macaroni to be ready at about the same time.
- Be sure to stir the macaroni from time to time so the pieces don't stick together.
- If you're going to put the macaroni and cheese in the oven to bake, you can remove the pasta from the water when it's slightly undercooked. It will cook a little more in the oven, and if it's perfectly cooked when it goes in, it might come out too soft.
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4Make the white sauce. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then stir in the flour with a wire whisk (this is called a roux). Turn the burner down a bit and let the roux bubble a few minutes (make sure the butter does not burn). Continue to stir to cook the flour a bit, but don't let it brown. Stir in the warm milk all at once, stirring vigorously with the whisk to smooth out any lumps. Whisk in the mustard and cayenne if you are using them and let the sauce bubble gently for about 2 minutes.
- This is just one of the many cheese sauces you can make. For variation, try other cheese sauces like Make Mexican White Cheese Sauce.
- White sauce (also referred to as bechamel) can also be made in the microwave.
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5Drain the macaroni, giving it a few good shakes to get as much water out as possible. Some people prefer to rinse the pasta briefly to keep it from getting mealy (it removes excess starch released by heat).
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6Remove the sauce from the stove and stir in the grated cheese and the cooked macaroni. Stir until it is well mixed, then add salt and pepper to taste.
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7Serve or bake. If you want to bake the macaroni and cheese, put it in a baking dish, sprinkle more cheese or some buttered breadcrumbs on top, and bake it for 20 or 30 minutes at about 375 °F (191 °C).
- The baked version is less creamy and has a crusty top.
- To butter the breadcrumbs, heat up some butter in a small skillet and stir in the crumbs or make them in the oven as described in How to Make Buttered Crumbs.
- For best results, Make Fresh Breadcrumbs.
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8Finished.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow many people does this recipe serve?
QamarTop AnswererThis recipe makes about 9-12 servings, or about a pound of macaroni and cheese. -
QuestionCan I use any kind of pasta other than macaroni?QamarTop AnswererYes, any small-sized kind of pasta can be used to replace the macaroni. Keep in mind this won't be considered macaroni and cheese with a different kind of pasta replaced, but any type can be used as a substitute.
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QuestionWhy did my macaroni and cheese turn out watery?QamarTop AnswererThere might not have been enough cheese or flour added to the cheese sauce mixture. You can fix runny or watery macaroni and cheese by adding either more cheese or more flour to thicken it. If you add more flour, dilute with warm water or milk first to form a lump-free paste before stirring through the cheese sauce.
Warnings
- Keep an eye on the boiling pasta so you don't overcook it. Taste the pasta periodically and cook it until it seems just soft enough for you.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Be careful not to add too much salt to your sauce before you add the cheese. Cheddar can be quite salty. You can always add salt, but you can't take it away.⧼thumbs_response⧽
Things You'll Need
- Large pot to cook the pasta
- Colander or strainer
- Wire whisk
- Cheese grater
- Baking dish (if following baking method)
About This Article
If you want to make your own old-style macaroni and cheese, heat 4 cups of milk on the stove, but don’t let it come to a boil. Bring another pot of water to a boil, then add the macaroni noodles. Once you’ve added the noodles to the boiling water, make a roux from butter and flour in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. After about 5 minutes, stir in the warm milk, whisking to smooth out any lumps. When the pasta finishes cooking, drain off the water, then mix the macaroni noodles and the shredded cheese into your sauce. To learn how to make baked macaroni and cheese, read on!
