Mac ‘n’ Cheese
That’s right, folks. It’s time for some good old-fashioned comfort food. I know that this dish usually screams to me when it’s cold out, but it also hits home when it’s raining a lot (which it’s been doing quite a bit, lately).
So, the difference between this Mac ‘n’ Cheese and the kind you’d get for lunch in the cafeteria is the base (and the addition of flavor). You’re going to make a béschamel sauce, add cheese to it - we now have mornay sauce! Then you simply want to select a type of pasta for your dish. You can use any pasta that you want: penne, mini rigatoni, traditional macaroni-style pasta or even gnocchi. Personally, I look for a pasta that’s going to hug every single bit of sauce in the pot, so I used campanelle. The twisty-ness of this pasta seems to hold the sauce really nicely and it’s aesthetically sound, too. Just don’t think about it too much.
*Note: this recipe will yield quite a bit of béschamel sauce, so reserve what you don’t need in mason jars for another day, or give it to a friend. You can use béschamel sauce with a lot of recipes, and with the cheese in it (Mornay Sauce) it’s delicious to dip crudité or bread in.*
Béschamel sauce:
Half lb unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
Half lb All-purpose flour (about two cups).
About a half gallon of milk (the more fat, the better), room temperature.
A nice brick of well-aged sharp, white cheddar (or cheese of choice), grated or finely chopped.
Cayenne pepper - to taste
Salt/Pepper - to taste
Before beginning the béschamel sauce, bring a pot of water to a boil with a small handful of kosher salt thrown in. While you’re waiting for your water to come to the rolling boil, get a large pot and turn the flame to medium. Add your butter and allow it to melt but not color. When the butter has melted, toss some flour into the pot and begin to mix. This is called a roux. You want the roux to be nice and thick, white and balanced. Gently cook the roux for about 5 or 6 minutes, to eliminate some of the floury taste. Get another pot or pan ready and pour the milk into it, warming it to a simmer (do not boil or scald).
When the water is at the rolling boil, drop your pasta in and cook. If the box tells you to cook for 10 minutes, cook it for 9 because the hot mornay sauce will continue to cook the pasta. Strain into a colander and reserve on the side.
When your roux is cooked through, and your milk is gently simmering, slowly add the milk into the roux and mix until you reach the desired consistency. You will constantly be stirring to avoid any scorching at the béschamel.
*Note: if you burn any of the sauce, you have to start over. There is no recovery on this guy, so keep stirring.*
After adding somewhere around 2 quarts (1/2 gallon) of the milk you should find a silky sauce with the consistency of a pudding.
Take the cheese and add to the sauce; mix and taste. Add some cayenne pepper, about 5 tablespoons of kosher salt and pepper. Taste and adjust. This is everything about the dish, so taste and edit until it’s perfect and you’ll have the best dish ever.
Add the pasta, mix well and serve.
You can also bake it by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and adding breadcrumbs (or Amy’s cheddar bunny crackers) and cooking it until the crumbs toast (about 5 minutes more).
If storing and reheating, add heavy cream or milk to the mac ‘n’ cheese to rehydrate it, otherwise it’ll be dry and disappointing.
Best,
Bobby
