You’ll love this ultra creamy mac and cheese recipe! With the perfect ratio of milk to cheese to sauce, this macaroni and cheese is at the top of my favorites list! Jump to the Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe Show
My Love Affair With Mac and CheeseI have a mini love affair with mac and cheese. As a child, I would take it any way I could get it — out of a box or made from scratch by Mom. Wait what am I saying, I do that now 🙂 Mounds of cheese melted into a velvety, creamy sauce and tossed with pasta. Yes, please! There are lots of recipes for macaroni and cheese in the world and to be completely honest, I’d probably love most of them. That said, I do think there are a few key elements for the best mac and cheese.
The Best Pasta and Cheese to UseThe ingredient list for our mac and cheese recipe isn’t a long one and as you can imagine the type of pasta and cheese you use makes a big difference. The Pasta I UseYou probably already know that most cooks will tell you to cook your pasta to “al dente,” which just means that the pasta is tender with a little bite (instead of being mushy). When you’re making baked pastas, it’s hard to keep pasta from turning mushy. To deal with this, I do two things:
My Favorite Cheeses For Macaroni and CheeseDepending on your mood, the cheese you use in macaroni and cheese can vary. Cheddar, fontina, gruyere, parmesan, and pecorino are all excellent options, but the combination of cheeses I go back to over and over again is a hearty amount of extra sharp white cheddar (I like Tilamook) and a smaller, but potent amount of pecorino-romano cheese. The cheddar turns creamy and smooth and the pecorino adds a pop of salty cheese flavor to the sauce. Okay, now this is where I get on my soapbox for a second. No matter which cheese you use for this, if you can, grate the cheese yourself. A previously shredded bagged cheese just doesn’t melt the same way as hand grated cheese. I wish that wasn’t true, but for now, to make the best mac and cheese, it’s best to shred the cheese yourself. The Rest of The IngredientsThe remaining ingredients are simple: butter and flour (which makes the sauce thicken), milk, spices, salt, and pepper. For the milk, I prefer whole milk since it makes a creamier sauce, but I’ve used reduced fat milk plenty of times without complaint. How to Make itI’m going to walk you through how I make mac and cheese in my own kitchen. If you want to watch me do it, there’s a quick recipe video above that shows each step. Step 1, Warm milk in a saucepan or in the microwave. Warm milk helps to make the whole sauce making process go a bit quicker and according to Julia Child, warm milk prevents a lumpy cheese sauce. Step 2, Make a roux with butter and flour. Basically a roux is a cooked paste made with butter and flour. When milk is added later in the recipe, it’s this butter-flour paste that helps the cheese sauce to thicken. Step 3, Whisk in the milk and thicken the sauce. When the roux is a golden color and smells nutty (it only takes a couple of minutes), I whisk in the warm milk. As the milk heats up with the roux, it thickens and turns silky smooth. Step 4, Adds spices and the cheese. When the milk is a silky thickened sauce, I whisk in a few spices and the shredded cheese. When the cheese has melted into the sauce, I always taste and check for seasoning. It’s likely that some salt needs to be added. Step 5, Stir in slightly undercooked pasta, add to a baking dish, and bake. As I mentioned above, I undercook my pasta by 2 minutes, drain, and then rinse it of excess starches. This makes sure that my sauce stays creamy while it bakes in the oven. The macaroni and cheese bakes for about 30 minutes. Stovetop Mac and Cheese OptionI love the golden brown edges and top that baking the macaroni and cheese creates, but you don’t need to bake it if you don’t want to. For a stovetop mac and cheese, simply add the pasta to the cheese sauce and then let it sit, covered for a few minutes. This time gives the pasta a chance to absorb some of the sauce. You can also take a look at this easy macaroni and cheese recipe made on the stovetop. Making It Ahead of TimeLike most baked pasta dishes, mac and cheese is perfect for making ahead of time. Here are a few tips:
More Baked Pasta Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, review it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #inspiredtaste on Instagram. Happy cooking! Recipe updated, originally posted May 2013. Since posting this in 2013, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne Ultra Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
Our favorite mac and cheese recipe calls on a few smart steps to make sure the macaroni and cheese is ultra creamy and flavorful. While many cheeses can work in this recipe, the two cheeses we go back to again and again are sharp white cheddar and Pecorino-Romano cheese. The cheddar melts down to be creamy and the pecorino adds a sharp salty bite to the sauce. For the creamiest sauce, we hand grate the cheese since previously shredded cheeses don’t seem to melt as well. Makes 8 to 10 servings Watch Us Make the RecipeYou Will Need1 pound dried pasta like elbow macaroni, shells or penne Salt, to taste 5 cups (1180 ml) milk, whole or 2% are best 5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter 5 tablespoons (45 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg 1 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (4 heaping cups), plus more if baking (about 1/2 cup) 5 ounces (140 grams) Pecorino-Romano cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups) Directions
For baked macaroni and cheese, heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a 3-quart casserole dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray. For stove-top mac and cheese, move on to the next step. Grate the cheeses and set aside. For baked mac and cheese, reserve 1/2 cup for topping the pasta before baking in the oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 2 minute less than the recommended cook time. Drain then rinse pasta with cold water and set aside. Add milk to a large microwave-safe measuring jug and microwave 1 to 3 minutes until warm. Alternatively, you can add milk to a large saucepan over medium heat then heat milk until warm. While the milk warms up, melt the butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, add the flour. Cook, constantly whisking until the butter smells fragrant and nutty — the color of the butter-flour mixture will be light brown; 2 to 3 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour the warm milk into butter and flour mixture. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Remove the pan from the heat. and then stir in mustard, black pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, 4 cups of cheddar and all of the Romano cheese. Stir until the heat from the sauce melts the cheese. Taste the sauce for seasoning, and then adjust with additional spices or salt (we usually start with 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt and go from there). If the drained and rinsed pasta will fit into the pan, add it to the cheese sauce. If the pasta will not fit, add both the pasta and sauce to a separate large bowl and stir well. For a stovetop mac and cheese, cover with a lid and set aside for 5 minutes. In this time the pasta will absorb some of the extra cheese sauce. Serve. For a baked mac and cheese, pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Top with the reserved 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling, about 30 minutes. For browned cheese on top, turn the oven to broil, and then broil 3 to 5 minutes until the top has blistered and lightly browned. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Adam and Joanne's Tips
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste Nutrition Per Serving: Serving Size 1/10 of the dish / Calories 578 / Total Fat 28.1g / Saturated Fat 16.4g / Cholesterol 87.2mg / Sodium 728.9mg / Carbohydrate 51.1g / Dietary Fiber 1.7g / Total Sugars 14g / Protein 29.6g Can you make mac and cheese without butter?So, if a recipe asks for butter, you may use ghee or margarine instead. However, sour cream, mayonnaise, or yogurt can be used to get the same creamy texture when cooking boxed macaroni. You may use 1 cup of any of these in place of the butter called for in the recipe (4 tablespoons).
What can I use instead of butter for Mac & cheese?5 Substitutes for Butter in Mac and Cheese. Margarine. Margarine is the most obvious butter substitute for mac and cheese because it has a similar flavor and texture as butter. ... . Oil. Certain plant-based oils like coconut oil are great at imitating butter in terms of texture. ... . Ghee. What is this? ... . Heavy Cream. ... . Cream Cheese.. Can you make mac and cheese without butter and milk?Yes, it is possible to make Kraft macaroni and cheese without milk or butter. For the best milk substitute, just make your ideal selection from our table of substitutes below. For the best butter substitute, use ghee, mascarpone, margarine, roux, heavy cream, cream cheese or margarine.
Can you eat macaroni without butter?While that yellow stick of fatty goodness adds a savory note and extra texture, butter is not required to make your macaroni and cheese. It has very little to do with the cooking process. You can use several yummy- and even healthy- alternatives, such as margarine, sour cream, and even unflavored yogurt.
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