CLASSIC SERIES
Creamy Homestyle
Mac & Cheese
👨â€ğŸ³ Chef's Secret
For the smoothest sauce, grate your own cheese! Store-bought pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch to prevent clumping, which makes sauces grainy. Grating your own makes it silky smooth.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
- 3 cups Whole milk
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 4 cups Sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese (grated)
- Salt, black pepper, and paprika
Preparation Steps
- Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook macaroni until slightly under-cooked (al dente). Drain and set aside.
- Roux: Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute until it starts to smell nutty.
- Béchamel Sauce: Slowly pour in the milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly. Simmer until the sauce is thickened and velvety.
- Cheese Addition: Remove sauce from heat. Stir in the cheddar and gruyère cheeses. Reserve 1 cup of cheddar if you plan to bake it later.
- Combine: Fold the cooked pasta into the rich cheese sauce until every noodle is perfectly coated. Serve immediately or top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350°F for 15 mins.