Homemade Mac & Cheese
Homemade Mac & Cheese
Every home needs a go-to Mac & Cheese recipe, this one is ours. So ditch the boxed stuff and give this easy recipe a try.
Royal Norfolk Turquoise Swirl Stoneware Plates courtesy of Dollar Tree found HERE
INGREDIENTS
1 lb pasta like elbow or shell macaroni
6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter
6-8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5-7 cups whole milk plus a splash of heavy cream
1 lb white cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb Havarti cheese, shedded
1/4 lb Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta then follow package directions, but cook 1 minute less than the package calls for. Drain.
Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a large high-sided pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and whisk the butter and flour together until it smell toasted and looks light brown; 2 to 3 minutes.
While whisking, pour in the milk and heavy cream. Continue to cook, constantly whisking until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens.
Turn the heat to low then stir in the Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, cheddar, havarti and gruyere cheeses. When the sauce is smooth and velvety, stir in the cooked pasta. If the sauce looks too wet, don’t worry, the pasta absorbs some the extra moisture as it cooks
After adding the pasta to the cheese sauce, butter a large baking dish and pour in pasta, top with breadcrumbs (optional). Bake, uncovered, in a 375-degree oven until bubbling and browned on top; 25 to 30 minutes.
Step-by-step video below
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