Come, my child… come. I shall take you by the hand and take you where you need to go.
I shall show you the comfort food that is solely responsible for my bones and tissues multiplying and growing at a young age.
It’s macaroni and cheese made with the best butter, whole milk, and every type of cheese you could ever desire. It’s also the only pasta (or food) I consumed until I was about fourteen years old. Ah, those were the days.
Come… come, my child.
I shall show you how to make the best mac and cheese in all eternity.
How do you make the best mac and cheese?
There are a few ingredients that make this the best macaroni and cheese ever. Adding an egg to mac and cheese makes the sauce smooth, velvety, and heavenly rich. The mustard powder (or a substitute for dry mustard if you’re really stuck) provides the perfect tangy bite that balances all that richness, and then there’s the cheese. Oh, the cheese! Pre-shredded, bagged cheeses don’t melt as well as cheese grated straight from the block, so be sure to do that yourself. The resulting creaminess is worth the extra step.
Why do you undercook the pasta for macaroni and cheese?
Overcooked pasta is mushy and unpleasant. To avoid overcooking it in baked pasta dishes like mac and cheese, you must first undercook it. That means, boil the pasta until it’s still quite firm. I like to test a noodle about five minutes into the cooking process. If it’s too firm to eat right then, it’s time to go ahead and drain it. Trust me on this. The pasta will fully cook as the macaroni and cheese bakes in the oven.
Why does my homemade mac and cheese get grainy?
There are a few things you can do to avoid a grainy cheese sauce. First, use freshly grated cheese. The pre-shredded stuff has additives to keep it from clumping in the bag. However, that means that it doesn’t melt as smoothly as freshly grated cheese. Secondly, stir the cheese in a handful at a time, stirring until it melts before adding more. Lastly, make sure your burner is on low heat. High heat can cause any cream sauce to separate and become grainy.
How do you keep macaroni and cheese creamy?
The star of this recipe is the cheesiest, dreamiest cream sauce that sinks into every nook and cranny. (You can thank whole milk, a pound of cheese, and an egg for that texture.) But the secret to baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom. That extra layer of cheese helps hold in the moisture when it bakes in the oven. Just be sure not to bake it too long so the macaroni doesn’t dry out! Bake just until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
What’s the best cheese to use in mac and cheese?
I almost always mix different types of cheese: Colby, monterey jack, fontina, mild cheddar, pepper jack… even a little gruyère if I allow myself to be in denial about how expensive it is to buy. (There’s always a good gruyère cheese substitute at the grocery store, too.) Keep it simple with just sharp cheddar or sprinkle in a variety depending on what you like best.
Can you make macaroni and cheese ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this dish, top it with cheese, cover it with foil, and refrigerate it, unbaked, for up to two days. Pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking to knock off the chill. You may need to add a few minutes to the cook time but just keep an eye on it!
How long does leftover macaroni and cheese last in the fridge?
Covered tightly or stored in an airtight container, leftover mac and cheese will stay good for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat individual helpings in the microwave or reheat larger portions by covering the baking dish in foil and baking in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Love this recipe? Try one of these next!
Elbow macaroni. You can buy it in bulk, and you can buy it cheap.
You’ll need butter. Regular, salted butter.
And just note that I pretty much never use unsalted butter except for a few select baking recipes.
All-purpose flour.
Whole milk. Pretend there’s a photo of whole milk sitting on a counter you can’t see.
Dry mustard. I love this ingredient in macaroni and cheese. It provides a tangy sharpness without injecting a definable flavor.
One egg. Trust me.
And cheese. One glorious, beautiful pound of freshly grated cheese. I’m using all sharp cheddar today, but I almost always mix different types of cheese: colby, monterey jack, fontina, mild cheddar, pepper jack… even a little gruyère if I allow myself to be in denial about how expensive it is.
But today, it’s all cheddar, all the time.
Cook four cups dried macaroni until it’s very “al dente.” Keep in mind that we’ll be baking the macaroni after we mix it together, so it needs to be quite firm when you bring it out of the water. I usually test a macaroni noodle about five minutes into the cooking process—if it’s too firm to serve and eat immediately, it’s time to take it off the stove and drain it.
Nutshell: Undercook the macaroni! You’ll be glad.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk the egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add a good teaspoon or so of salt to the water.
Now, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick OR 4 tablespoons) butter.
Sprinkle in an equal amount (4 tablespoons) flour.
Whisk the mixture together over medium-low heat (careful not to burn!) until totally combined…
Then continue cooking for around five minutes, whisking constantly.
This is called a roux, which is the basis of a cream sauce or gravy.
Pour in 2 1/2 cups whole milk. You could use 1% or 2%… but why?
Seriously, the fat content in the whole milk, in my opinion, makes for a creamier, more delicious mac and cheese. But I’m not here to make anyone’s choices for them so feel free to use a lower fat milk product.
Immediately dump in 2 heaping teaspoons of dry mustard.
You could certainly add another teaspoon with impunity… but see how 2 tastes first. If you like it, dump in some more.
Now, whisk the mixture together and cook for about five minutes. It will get extremely thick, almost like a cream gravy.
At that point, reduce the heat to low. Use a 1/4 cup measure to retrieve a small amount of the sauce.
Pour the small amount of sauce into the beaten egg slowly…
Begin whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.
Keep whisking until mixture is cooled. This is called “tempering.” Rather than dump the beaten egg into the very hot mixture in the pan—which would result in the eggs scrambling—you introduce some of the hot mixture into the egg.
THEN you dump the tempered egg into the pan.
Whisk it together…
Until totally combined.
Now dump in all but about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Look at this wonderful cheesiness.
And stir together until it’s all melted. Go ahead and turn off the heat.
Now it’s time for seasoning! Add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s.) If you’re sensitive to salt, start really low and work your way up… and remember that the cheese imparts quite a bit of salt to the mix.
BUT—and this is important—be careful not to UNDERSALT the mac and cheese. It really needs ample salt to put the flavor over the top.
*I also use paprika, cayenne pepper, even ground thyme every now and then. Play with different ground spices and see what you like best.
And finally, add plenty of black pepper, of the Black Dust variety. Honestly, I love freshly ground pepper… but not in homemade mac and cheese. For me, it has to be the powdery stuff.
Now THAT’s what I’m talkin’ about.
And guess what? You can just steam some fresh broccoli and spoon some of this over the top. Kids from all over the land will show up at your doorstep.
Did you know a single serving of broccoli is positively loaded with Vitamin C?
Now just dump in the drained, not-fully-cooked macaroni!
And stir the mixture together.
I use a little less than the full amount of cooked macaroni, because I love it extra creamy and coated. Just add it according to how you like it.
Now, you can either dish it up as it is right now, which makes for an ultra-creamy love fest…
OR you can pour the macaroni into a buttered baking dish. This is a 2-quart dish, but a 9 x 13 pan would work just fine.
Next, top the dish with the rest of the grated cheese.
Now bake it for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.
Kinda like this.
The secret to good, baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom.
Hello, lover.
We’ve had a beautiful life together, haven’t we? Thank you for allowing me to grow and develop.
Thank you for making my life complete.
And thank you for being you: unpretentious, unrefined, and real.
Enjoy!