When you’re in the mood for macaroni and cheese, you don’t want boxed macaroni and cheese. If you want homemade macaroni with lots of melty cheese, Ina Garten has you covered. Garten has a souped-up macaroni and cheese recipe that will satisfy your craving and leave you coming back for more.
“I’m making sumac and cheese, which is traditional mac and cheese, but with a lot of volume,” Garten said in a video on Food Network’s Instagram page. Prepare to have your taste buds amazed, because this is nothing like your 10-minute boxed mac and cheese.
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Garten starts by whisking flour and melted butter in a saucepan to make a simple béchamel sauce (also known as white sauce), then gradually adds warm milk until the sauce thickens to the right consistency.
Next, remove the béchamel from the heat and add your seasonings, including salt, pepper, and nutmeg, which gives the sauce a super savory flavor. “I think the nutmeg really brings out the flavor of the cheese,” Garten says. “And that brings us to the cheese. Lots of good cheese.”
She uses shredded Swiss Gruyere for a nutty flavor and shredded Cheddar to give the sauce a sharp edge.
Add some tasty shredded cheese to the hot béchamel sauce, where it will melt to perfection. Then, in a separate bowl, mix the cooked pasta (Garten used cavatappi, but you can use any noodles you like) with the béchamel, then dump the sumac and cheese mixture into a baking dish.
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Finally, Garten tops the mac and cheese with tomato slices and fresh breadcrumbs to give the dish extra flavor and a little crunch, then bakes the dish in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and ready to serve.
Like Garten said, this is party mac and cheese, and it’s sure to be a family dinner staple for years to come.
Before you head out, check out Garten’s best dinner recipes below.
